#this chapter is part of a sort of introduction to this series

[ohdearlingwhathappened]

A Pair Made in the Pits

TFP Megatron x Reader

Summary: A soulmate au where near everyone has the first thing their soulmate says to them marked into their wrist. What a shame Y/n's is in some unknown language. Living with this for 7.5 years, she decides to settle down in Jasper, Nevada, not knowing that being the teacher in charge of the exchange student's overall academics and wellbeing in the school would lead her to being involved with giant robots and finding her soulmate in an unconventional method.

A/n: Sorry for the long summary! This is my first published transformers fic, so please be kind. If there are any inaccuracies, feel free to message me. I hope you enjoy my story!

WC: 2099

Chapter 1: Falling Behind Pt. 1

Chap 2, Chap 3

“Miko! Miko Nakadai!” The woman briskly walks down the hall, after the young exchange student who looked back and groaned in annoyance.

“I know. I know.” As the woman comes to a stop, Miko waves her off, “My grades need work. I need to pay attention in class. I can’t keep drawing on the desks. Can I go now?”

“Very funny, young lady-”

“You’re only ten years older than me- stop calling me that.” She crosses her arms and looks away.

“Miko, you know you were supposed to come by the office to pick up some papers for your host parents.” The woman places a hand on her hip, and raises a brow expectantly, “Any reason for you to skip out on me?”

“There’s a bike.”

“A… bike.”

“Outside!” She rolls her eyes again, throwing her arms up in exasperation. “I saw it from my last class, and I wanted to draw it. It’s gonna be gone if I go to the office and get the papers. You know the desk lady talks for, like, a million years.”

“Mrs. Albert does have a penchant for talking… tell you what- why don’t you go sit on the stairs of the school and draw that bike. I’ll grab the papers and bring them out to you. Just promise to stay on the entrance stairs. Ok?”��

The girl whoops and breaks out into a run, excited to be let off the hook of being subject to Mrs. Albert’s stories of her childhood. “Thank you, Y/n!!”

Y/n shakes her head, a soft smile on her lips as she watches after the Japanese girl then makes her way to the office, silently knowing she’ll now be listening to one of the aforementioned talks. The woman was sweet but goodness, she needs to join a bookclub, or something. 

“Ah. Y/n, dear! I thought Miko was supposed to be collecting these?” 

There, sitting behind the desk, is Mrs. Albert, smiling as brightly as the sun. Her curly gray hair frames her rounded, wrinkled face- giving her the vibe of a grandmother who is about to offer you either butterscotch or one of those little red candies wrapped in those strawberry wrappers. The older woman was just as sweet as she appeared, which made Y/n feel the slightest bit guilty when she would dread one of the long-winded stories, Mrs. Albert never fails to tell.

“Hello Mrs. Albert. I let Miko go off to draw something she saw outside. She was too excited to say no, I’m afraid.” Y/n gave an airy but clipped laugh. “I told her I would bring her the papers for her host parents.”

“You’re too easy on that girl.” Mrs. Albert teasingly chastises, “Though, I guess I can’t blame you. That girl is the first exchange student you’re in charge of, it’s no wonder you’re so lenient with her. It reminds me of how I treated my baby, Samuel. Did I ever tell you about Sammy? He was such a delightful boy. He was heartbroken when he never got his quote…” She teeters off, the solemn look now on her face doesn’t suit her. Y/n had heard this story before, but it isn’t often that it comes up, nor is it often for ‘Sammy’ to be brought up at all. Not that it isn’t understandable as to why.

Quotes- a subject Y/n always loathes hearing about. 

The thing about everyone’s quotes is that they link people to each other- your other half, according to many. Most people receive their quotes sometime at 18 years old, a few will get them younger, and even fewer never get them at all. Many times, if a person does not receive their quote, they don’t live for much longer- whether it be due to the societal pressures that they failed to meet, due to no fault of their own; or they have some kind of accident. Long story short, if you don’t get your mark by your 19th birthday, you spend the rest of that year mourning and wondering what will become of you. Not to say everyone without a quote dies, but they are a particularly rare find, that’s for sure.

On top of that source of dread, each quote comes in the native language of wherever your partner is from, so once people get their quote, they are either thrilled and/or they hit the books to understand their other half’s language. Meaning that with the gibberish printed on Y/n’s arm, she’s cursed with the unknown regarding some so-called soulmate. 

“I’m sorry, dear. I shouldn’t mention quotes. I know you don’t like talking about them.” Mrs. Albert looks at her, a level of pity swimming in those big, brown eyes behind those glasses she adorns. She pats Y/n’s hand comfortingly, looking at the long sleeves she wears, even in the midst of September in the middle of Jasper, Nevada.

“Don’t worry about it, Mrs. Albert. I’ve been living with my quote for about 7 and a half years now. I’m ok.” Y/n smiles, knowing she didn’t mean any harm. “...About those papers?”

“Oh! Oh, yes. Let me grab those for you, dear.” She jumps up and walks over to one of her filing cabinets and quickly snags one of the multiple files out and hands it over. How she keeps track of where all of those papers are is baffling, but Y/n supposes the years of practice have definitely helped. “Here you are.”

“Thank you.” Y/n keeps up her smile and nods at the older woman. “You have a great rest of your afternoon, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Have a good night, Y/n. And be careful- I’ve heard that those street racers have been causing more trouble recently.” She calls out as the young woman leaves the office.

“I will!”

As she closes the door to the office, the smile on Y/n’s face slowly fades and she takes a deep breath, trying to brush off the snaring emotions surrounding her quote. After another breath, the woman rights herself and begins making her way down the hall, Y/n sifting through the papers in the manila folder, ensuring all of the papers are there. Her progress report and reviews from her teachers didn’t spell out anything good even so early into the year. All subjects but art, music, and english were less than adequate.

I’m going to have to talk to her about her grades again. 

“Alright, Miko, I have your papers fo- Miko?” Exiting the front doors, Y/n looks around for her student, only to find her running off down the sidewalk. “Miko!” She takes off after her, cursing herself for not working out more. 

This girl is gonna kill me.

Miko finally stops to peek around a corner, and the woman slows to a stop and leans against her own knees, heavy breathing covering up any sounds around her. After a moment of steadying her breath, she looks to the girl on her left, irritated, “Miko, I told you to stay on-”

“Shhh!!”

“You did not just shush me, young lady.” Miko gestures to whatever is so important that she ran over for, revealing a giant robot and a boy. A very familiar boy. “Jack Darby! You get away from that thing this instant!” Y/n yells, making both the teen and robot jump and look to her and Miko’s direction. She runs up to the boy, looking him over for any possible injuries, and pulls him behind her next to Miko.

“What?! He should totally go with!” Miko looks at Y/n, who keeps her eyes on the visibly bothered robot, like she’s crazy, and argues that he should do the opposite.

“Absolutely not! We don’t know what that thing even is!”

“Scrap.” The blue robot looks to Jack and then to the other two, standing up from her previously kneeling position when she had been speaking with the teenage boy, her tone obviously exasperated, “I have to bring all of you with me.”

“Excuse me? I am not going anywhere, and neither are these children. You wanna abduct someone for whatever wacky robot thing you have going on? You leave these children out of it.” Y/n crosses her arms, looking up at the blue and pink being before her, not willing to step down- much to the distaste of said robot.

“I don’t have time for this-” The bot raised her hand to the side of her head with quite possibly one of the most bothered expressions Y/n had ever seen on a human or anything else. “Bee, you need to come back… the kid is fine, but we’ve run into a couple of issues.”

“Did you not hear me? You can’t just-”

“Oh, I heard you, but I can and I will.” Apparently done with what Y/n can only assume was some kind of phone call- that or this was not only a giant robot but a crazy one at that. “I have orders and you’re now part of those orders because you were nosy.”

“We’ll act like we never saw you, not that anyone in their right mind would believe any of us if we told them we saw a giant robot lady that wanted to- what? Take us to some government facility and lock us away because of seeing whatever kind of prototype you are?” Y/n argues back, left hand on her hip and her right pointing up at the mech accusingly, to which the mechanical woman’s jaw falls agape before screwing up, insulted.

“We weren’t made by humans, and you are wasting my time. I have better things to do rather than argue with some woman who’s putting a hitch in today’s plans.”

“Oh, well I’m so-”

A yellow Urbana 500 with black racing stripes drives up behind Miko and Y/n and revs the engine, making the woman jump and the teen whirl around, excited to see yet another possible robot. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Y/n weighs her options. If she tries to take the children with her, it is possible these robots, while they may not have shown any aggressive or violent responses, it couldn’t be confirmed that they wouldn’t, if there was any opposition. The safest option was, unfortunately, to go with the kids and keep them as safe as possible. No matter how much she didn’t like this. 

“Ok… alright.” Another deep breath in and out. The kids are what’s important right now. “We’ll come with you, but these kids stay as safe as possible.”

“That was the plan.” The dead tone rings through the alleyway, continuing to irk the only other adult present, but before Y/n could say anything, the metal woman transformed into a motorcycle, having Jack move around her, reluctantly getting on and Miko enthusiastically hops on with absolutely no hesitation. “Get in Bee, and we’ll meet you back at base.”

And then they were gone, leaving Y/n frustrated and clenching her fists with the other vehicle behind her, probably another transforming thing- hopefully with less attitude. Grumbling about the behavior of not only the bot, but the reckless behavior of the children as well, she turns around and awkwardly half-smiles at the yellow and black car- all of the frustration draining out of her.

“I don’t suppose there’s a person in there whose, like, codename is Bee, is there?” The bright lights of the car flick on and off a couple of times before the right side backdoor opens, confirming her fear. Letting out a quiet groan, Y/n walks to the awkward door, hoping there is a human ‘at base’ to help explain what the hell is going on. Getting in, she looks at the empty driver’s seat, then notices hair sticking ever so slightly above the passenger seat. “Oh, thank god. Another person. What is going- How many children exactly are you lot abducting?!”

A series of beeping, whirring, and whistling is the only response Y/n receives from the car’s radio as said child shyly smiles up at her. “Hello. Bee says we aren’t being taken, but someone named Optimus needs to see us after what happened yesterday.”

A moment’s pause settles over the car before Y/n leans back in her seat, rubbing her hands across her face, the car finally beginning to move and quickly pick up speed, “What exactly happened yesterday?”

“Um…”

I would much rather be listening to one of Mrs. Albert’s stories right now.

[aenhanse]

people weren't lying those crossroads of twilight can really slog

[hollyhomburg]

Prey Animals (Masterlist)

—  Pairing: Yoongi x reader, Bts x reader

—  Subgenders: Omega! Reader, Beta! Yoongi, Alpha! Namjoon, Alpha! Jimin, Alpha! Taehyung, Alpha! Hoseok, Omega! Jungkook, Omega! Seokjin

—  Genre: Omegaverse, Mafia au, Polyamory au, Found family, Suspense, Eventual Smut, Enemies to friends to lovers, Angst with a happy ending, Hurt and Comfort,

—  Summary: In a world where Beta's are rare, valuable, and often have more than one pack; Beta Min Yoongi does everything he can to keep his mafia heritage a secret from his primary pack. Little does he know he's not the only one who's living a double life.

—  Words: 80k so far

—  Warnings: Violence, Blood, Murder, sexual and physical abuse, PTSD, themes of healing, suspense, mute character's, depictions of eating disorders, healing, hospitals, epilepsy, assassins, spyies,

Before you read:

This is the second version of this story, it's better, edited and longer. But if you want to read the first (near complete) version of this story you can read it on tumblr here, or on Ao3 here. there's like a million words of it lol.

not everything is tagged in this version. there is quite a bit of triggering content. i go into much more greater detail about the m/c and the abuse that she suffered at the hands of Geumjae in this version. if there is anything that doesn't get a tag and you feel it needs it, please don't hesitate to tell me!

This version is a lot longer than V1, and because of that the chapters don't line up, chapters 1-13 cover chapters 1-4.

While there are only a few things that have been taken out/restructured, but yoongi and the m/c get a dedicated slow burn love story in this now. i've also added 60k to what we did have so please give this tons of love!

i will not be reblogging these parts nearly as much as the others, because i want there to be less crowdedness on my feed. i will try my hardest to respond to comments if there are any this time around.

~-~

Prologue: Omens

Summary: you watch your husband murder someone, and try not to make it worse

Part 1: The Beta

Summary: Seokjin meets Yoongi when he's at his lowest.

Part 2: The Funeral

Summary: The death of a king pin makes the whole picture come crumbling down. In 120 days, Yoongi will decide who rules the criminal empire.

Part 3: The Alpha

Summary: Seokjin meets Namjoon when things are finally getting good, will the introduction of an alpha disrupt his and yoongi's little pack?

Part 4: Of Violent Dogs

Summary: Kim Namjoon will kill. That is a fact that you can count on.

Part 5: The Pups

Summary: Namjoon meets Jungkook in the Emergency room. "he's sick Joonie, and you can't make him better." that doesn't mean he's not going to try.

Part 6: Prey Animals

Summary: A death and A dinner party (a woman that yoongi can't take his eyes off of.)

Part 7: Hoseok

Summary: Yoongi brings home a stray, but luckily he's going to stay. (Yoongi won't, Yoongi is going to leave)

Part 8: Just Not her

Summary: Yoongi cannot decide if he trusts you or not. After being followed, he interrogates you to figure out your motives.

Part 9: Ribbons

Summary: A dinner at the Moon house prompt Yoongi to get closer and closer to you. But how close can he get before he pricks his finger?

Part 10: Junk Drawers and Daydreams

Summary: Yoongi just wants to figure you out. Just that. He promises.

Part 11: Warm Monsters

Summary: Yoongi's attraction gets harder to ignore, as does your suffering.

Part 12: The After

Summary: In Yoongi's absence the pack sort of falls apart.

Part 13: Bruises and Butterflies

Summary: One life doesn't equal seven.

~-~

Commonly asked questions:

Why the different name? because i thought it would be confusing to have two series's by the same name on the same page

Why are you editing this story? because i want to put it up for physical purchase either on amazon (ew i know) or some other alternative, the beginning of the story had always bugged me because it was not paced the same as the rest of it.

[solar4seekstron]

Sparkmates

IDW!Kup x Cybertronian!Decepticon!GN!Reader Oneshot

Content: 18+. You and Kup are couple goals. Before and during the war.

Introduction Movie/Series Oneshot Masterlist

TW/Tags: Angst, wholesome moments, (Heavily) implied sex, (fake) death, blood, Kup is my robot husband I was living my dream writing this ok sue me, mild cursing, war, Deadlock is an asshole, Super long chapter. I believe that’s all?? (I changed a bit of lore- sort of to fit the story. I hope you guys can still enjoy!!!!!

Long, long before the war. You were a warrior you trained in mastery of swords. Although you also know how to use guns.

You also knew how to use swords. That being one of your main weapons besides your blasters. You have been around for a good while. Known by many to always have a smile on your dermas and narrowed optics to give you a softer look with your yellow optics.

You were a pretty tall bot as well. Being only a few inches shorter then Kup.

Understanding and mastering most weapons. Guns or not. Even at times working with making guns alongside bots like Hound. You were a pretty strong bot. Having a well built frame and a few small features.

Both being agile but strong. Not too bulky as you had a sort of knight look at some parts of your frame. (Almost like Rodimus in Animated. Just imagine that frame in IDW).

Before the war. You were once known for working along side your Sire Yoketron as he trains younger bots to protect theirselves.

One day when visiting Hound. You met him…Kup.

And boy were things different since then for the both of you. At the time he wasn’t an old bot who smoked and grumbled over everything as he worked under Optimus. He was a lot younger of course. His winkles having no existence at the time as he had a lot more life in him. Well that’s a lot more visible. (Think like a stereotypical hot college guy lol)

You two would eventually start chatting and before you both knew it. You both bonded. After Kup spent some time winning your Sire over for approval.

You always encouraging him to keep going forward and to show your sire his determination.

You two would then learn to except each others interest more and points of views over time. Then…on one faithful day….

He popped the question. Your courtship starting and before you knew it. You both were bonded.

But like most good things. It must come to an end.……

One day when in his apartment. Kup was going to ask you to join him and the Autobots. But when you returned speaking of your point of view with the decepticons. You two realized. You both were on a different path.

It was heartbreaking. But you both agreed to not hurt each other if you both can help it if your paths should ever cross….

You both couldn’t hold in your tears that night as you both left for war.

And so years went by. Before you knew it, its been millions of years. You were able to age slower thanks to the meditation and calmness of your nature. Not to mention how well you took care of yourself when not training and in battle.…

At times at least. Many decepticons throughout the years have tried to win your heart as you don’t seem older as most would expect you to be. Not to mention you skill and strong yet soft personality. Always having stories to tell.

Something that catches many by surprise. And the way you handle things even is also part of why other bots and femmes grow feelings for you. But you always end up as almost like a carrier, mentor, or sire to some bots anyway.

Overtime, although you won’t admit it. There’s one thing you do often look forward to when out on missions with other bots and femmes..

Is the possibility of running into Kups team. The Weckers.

You and Kup both made sure that no other Cybertronians knew about your relationship with each other long ago. But that doesn’t mean anything was still easier for the both of you. While you two would exchange looks. You two will never admit this now.

But you both always held back when trying to shoot at each other.

Luckily something Megatron will never find out. After all Megatron had no reason to not trust you. You’re one of his strongest worriors and one of the trusted advisors in his council. In both guns and swords.

Hand in hand combat as you were one of the bots who taught him to continue to be stronger.

Everything stayed like that since. Kup would lead and teach the bots under him and with him. Perceptor being the only one to know the relationship the two of you had.

One day though everything would change for the two of you. Unser if it’s for the better…or for the worse.

———————————————————————————

Kup and a few of the other wreckers were on their usual patrol. Keeping an optic out for any decepticons from coming near the base. After some time the wreckers started making conversation and well…Kup has always stayed secretive with some things. Even as the others knew something was always up when speaking about relationships.

As they continue, you and your group were heading to their location to find some energon. This group always taking you with them as back up.

Deadlock being one of the bots. You and him always got along. But nothing really in common. Despite the comments many would make and assume about you two.

Many assuming you both would become a couple because “Swords” and both having a sort of understanding with peace. But the truth was.

Most Decepticons at your area at least. But you two… Could give less of a shit about each other.

As you all made your way to your designated location in your alt modes. One of the femmes say they should transform and look around once set up.

Having the 2 snipers look for any camp as the others watch around to protect.

You and Deadlock up front and watching.

Both having one arm down as the other bent and the cervo on a sword handle. You and Deadlock both doing this but with opposite cervos. Standing far from the snipers as the others started working on their weapons.

“You sure this gun blaster with work Y/N?” A femme asks you as she kneels down next to you. You glancing down at her as you let out a sigh.

But not in annoyance. You’d not then speak without looking at the bot.

”I designed it didn’t I. You can trust with promise it works.” Deadlock side eyed you before looking forward for a moment. The bot huffed as the femme got the weapon ready before sitting down with it.

The femme from earlier walking into the open land searching for life and energon. Becoming bate for any possible autobot.

Luckily she’s fast so killing her will be hard.

Back with Kup and his gang one of the bots sees the decepticon. Another fight soon insues. You and Deadlock soon getting involved as you both ran together into battle.

During the long fight it was you against Springer who made sure to insult and in his way flirt with you every now and then.

Meanwhile Deadlock took on Kup.

Deadlock was able to get a good upper hand. Even insulting Kup for his age when he can. Despite being aware you were around the same age as him.

With you and Springer the fight was just as intense.

As you two fought. You mostly were in hand in hand combat. Showing his boxing skills no match for your martial arts.

But because you both were on higher ground. You both ended up falling down a steep and long hill.

Falling into tree of an unknown planet (not earth). Springer dragging you along as he try’s to get into a few good punches.l

As you both fell to the ground. You two now seperated by the others. You’d make your way to pin Springer down. Getting ontop of him and holding him down as he struggles against you.

—-

Meanwhile with Kup. He wasn’t having much of a good time either. Deadlock being able to get an upper hand.

Stabbing his sword into and through Kups leg before then twisting it in for good measures. Causing Kup to groan and scream as he lays there. Doing the same thing to his arm on the other side of his body. Both his upper arm and upper thigh now injured as he groans and looks at Deadlock. Deadlock just casually cleaning his swords before looking down at him.

”Sweet dreams…..you old brute.”

From there he walked away. Leaving Kup there as he bleeds out.

Back with you and springer he was able to get you off him…eventually. After being able to grab something off the floor and stabbing at your thigh with it. Causing you to groan. He’s stab you once more at the side of your waist.

Pushing you and shoving you down with both hands.

As he was fast to get ontop of you. Soon he stabbed you in your left eye before shoving your face down into the ground as he puts you in a headlock as you struggled against his strength. He defiantly trained with Kup before.

”You once had honor before joining Megatrons fake cause! I only hope Primus may forgive your spark as he sees the blood on your hands…..Him and Yoketron…”

You’d continue trying to fight against him but it was no use. For a moment you believed him though. Maybe…it was best to see if it’s time for you. After all no one’s really waiting for you now.

And so…you gave up. Your arms no longer on his as he continues.. Eventually you stopped moving.

Springer then letting you go.

He’d leave after spitting on your frame. Making his way to the others as he climbed up. Eventually the two teams would seperate as the decepticons realize they’d have to retreat. Thanks to you missing and Deadlock couldn’t take them all on.

The others asking where you were. Only for the leader to say you are in the Autobots mercy now as a response. Deadlock not paying much mind as he transformed and drove with the others.

The same thing happening with the Autobots.

Believing Kup was killed by one of you until Springer mentioned he killed you.

At least that’s what he thinks.

After some time when everyone else was gone. The wreckers believing Kup was gone. After a few kliks it soon started to pour with green rain. A moment of silence.

That is….until you woke up with a gasp. Soon standing up as you looked around confused. You’re…alive? That-…how??? You’d look around and wonder.

Returning to the field only to see everyone was gone as you notice their tire marks on the mud around you.

As you kept looking around you soon find….Kup.

Kup groaned as he tries to stop the bleeding from his arm. Only for it to at times be too painful for him to try to stop it. His groans loud as he closed his optics. You made your way closer to him and kneeled down.

”Kup.” Your voice soft as he slowly looked up at you. The rain almost getting in his way. So you leaned your upper body over his.

Using your cervos to support yourself over him. Your cervos on both sides of his helm as he finally looks at you. Taking note of your optics injury. “I’m truly dyin’….Guess I’ve always knew it be you who’s the last thing I see during this whole damn war.”

He chuckled. You missed that chuckle. “Dont worry Kup. I’ll get you patched up.”

You’d then get to work on his injures. He’d groan from time to time as you took out a few of your tools from your hip. You’d take a few from your first aid before every mission. You’d check on him once you finished.

“Kup you still with me?”

Kup then looks at you as he sighed. “Yeah…But don’t really like this rain much though.”

You’d sigh as you think for a moment. You’d then gently pull him up. Ignoring the pain the stabs in your thigh. Having him on your back with your cervos under his thighs as his frame rests against your back, the arm not injured wrapping around you neck as you walked to a close by cave you noticed when making your way to the spot earlier that day.

———————————————————————————

As you both made it to the cave you made sure to be very gentle with him. Setting him down against the wall of the cave. His cervo gently holding his injured arm as you checked his leg injury.

While you worked on it you didn’t expect to hear his voice as you kneeled before him consecrated.

”Why…Why are you helpin’ me Y/N Our…Our agreement…”

”Kup..I just…I just can’t right now.” You stay silent for a moment as Kup looks at you with curious optics.

“There’s more Y/N. Just spit it out.” You sigh.

”I just couldn’t leave you to die. I don’t wish to just leave you to bleed out….Even if you would do the same to me….” You looked down. His frown still there but..sadder. “Y/N…Do you still-”

He doesn’t finish as you grab his location transmission for his ship to come to you guys. “Y/N what are you-“

”You need to make it to the medical bay. Or else you’ll die.”

”But you need help too! Dont try being a hero now after everything! At least let the medic patch up you-“

”KUP!…….You. Come…First. The Autobots…they wont care I’m just another dirty decepticon who’s just leading you to deception…That’s all I am and all I’ll be! Understood!? You are going to be saved and we go our seperate ways. Like before as agreed!”

You’d keep at his leg before satisfied with how it is.

Kup only stared at you until he notices a big rock close to him.

“You know, when I think of us before. The possibility of us reuniting after our…separation. I thought it be on…different circumstances….heh even the possibility of it being over as we fought each other at most.”

You stay quiet for a moment before finally speaking as you then looked at him as you spoke. “Oh yeah and how you oof-“

Kup knocked you out with the rock in his cervo. He panted as he leaned back and looked at your unconscious body. Memories start flowing through his mind.

Snippets of you laying next to him on your shared berth. Your bright smile when you both were still young adults. When he would watch you sleep peacefully next to him. Back when you two were still Conjunx.

When you both still showed your love together…

Soon as he’s pulled out of his thought. The lights of his rescue ship appears. Kup letting out a sigh…He has a lot of explaining to do now…..

———————————————————————————

After Kup was saved and you were taken in. Kup explained everything to his and Optimus. Optimus was a bit more understanding and asked the right questions as they interrogate him.

After Optimus told Kup that although they must hold you captive. You are a dangerous bot after all. Having a reputation amongst the Autobots. Springer was to say at most, the most surprised after hearing you saved him.

But just like everyone else. He wasn’t sure how that was possible. It has to be some sort of miracle that you survived. Only being knocked out and all.

Soon after when Kup and his team go on thier own ship once more. With you as prisoner. The young bots didn’t waist anytime with flooding Kup with questions. ”So what the hell is the story with you two- like you two make out before knocking them unconscious?”

”More importantly how did you even bag that! They’re way more good looking then you!”

”Not too mention probably younger Kup!”

”What was sex with them like?”

”GIVE US TIPS OR SOMETHING OLD MAN!!!!!!!!!”

Kup has had it. Standing up and yelling at the bots to shut up.

“Will you all shut up alright??!! Ok we dated! We were married for a good while before the war. We went our different ways. That’s all you need to know! They chose to save me for some reason alright! I don’t know why either. But I couldn’t leave them on that planet to bleed out!!!…….Now drop it.”

He sits back in his seat as he looked down.

Springer then sighs and looks at the others. All of them with pleading optics for him to ask you a very certain question.

He’d then command for the ship to go on autopilot and turn his chair towards Kup who just sat there.

”Kup…tell us how you and Y/N….met.” Kup glances back at Springer as well as the other bots did. He’d then sigh. Turning his chair toawrds the direction to the others as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his closed optics. Letting out an annoyed groan as he looked at the others.

“Fine Y’all really wish to know? I’ll tell ya. But NO interrupting. Understood?”

The bots nod as they stare at him. All then pulling out some energon like popcorn. Kup then speaks of the very you and Kup met.

———————————————————————————

I was but a young bot at the time. Before the many of your were born. I wasn’t always such an old bot either.

Back then I didn’t have my wrinkles and not much of a smoking habit then. I was just an ordinary bot. Trying to find work to help protect under the council at the time.

I was good friends with Hounds boss who had the best war stories. And he owned a pretty good guns and weapons store along with a shooting area. Little did I know. He got his weapons specialized and even practived by a certain bot who would change my life then.

And…in a way I still don’t and will never regret that moment….even now. They’re still the most…..fascinating bot I have ever seen…..Y/N…..

The door chimes as you walked in. Your swords on your hip handles as usual. You pretty much looked the same. Having no eye bags and no wrinkles like the more faded ones you’ll have in present time.

You had your usual smile on your dermas.

Your optics narrowed as you sighed. Making your way to the front counter. Kup was there feeling the guns weight in his cervos before noticing you at the corner of his optics.

He’d look at you as you pass by. His intake open a bit as he stares at you. You speak to Hound as his mind starts racing.

Eventually putting the gun down before he works up the confidence to come up from behind to next to you. Resting his elbow on the counter as his frame faces you. Trying to put on the best smile he can.

But it ends up being more nerdy and awkward. You’re looking at a gun Hound gave you to look over as Kup finally speaks.

”Hey there. Haven’t seen you around..here..” He drifts as he notices your swords. You’d glance at them then back at him. Then raising your cervo to him to shake as you kept your signature smile. “Y/N. And you are?”

He slowly shakes yours as he smiles once more. “Kup. So uhh you-”

”Alright Y/N I got your payment. Tell your Sire I said hello.” Hound walks in interrupting you both. Kup feeling a bit of pain in his spark as he struggled with his words. His cervo still out and his arm bent.

You and hound speaking for a moment more.

”Goodbye Kup. It’s nice having have met you.” Your soft voice pulling him from his thoughts. He watched as you leave. Both your arms stay on your sides as your hips sway. Kup stands there with his intake open as his arms falls to his side finally.

Hound noticed and closed his intake using a digit as he looked at him confused. “You good?

I wasn’t- after that I just couldn’t get them out of my helm. Such a strange but exciting feeling. And so that next day. I made a….choice.

“Hey Hound.”

”Kup? What brings you here? Didn’t you just do your pick ups yesterday?” Kup rubbed the back of his helm.

”Yes- but I was wondering ‘bout that bot yesterday. Y/N?”

”You’re still on about that bot? They’re just someone who works at that dojo. Barely even use guns themselves. I’d say forget’em now Kup. It ain’t like you to-“ Hound was then pinned roughly against the wall by Kup.

”Hound. Just give me the location of them and I wont tell your boss your dirty little secret with his daughter.” Hound gulped as his cervos stay up. “Okay-“

Wait- Hound actually got laid?

That’s besides the point! After Hound finally spoke. His intake actually to some use. I made my way to the dojo. I wasn’t sure on what I was goin’ to say or do. But I knew I just had to try…Not like I had anyone waiting for more besides some roommates.

Kup made his way to the dojo your sire owns. As you were in the training room, helping elementary sparklings learn to kick. Your sire Yoketron was at the front desk speaking to one of his students.

He was a few feet taller. Having a more bulky build.

Kup walks in and looked around. The student leaving as Yoketron turns his attention to Kup as he places his cervos behind his back.

“What brings you here young bot? Is it guidence on your….violent path? Or…something more?” His optics narrow as he stares down at Kup. Noticing Kups traits and the way he stands.

Kup looked up at him with his optics a bit wide.

“Uh yeah- Y-yes! I’m looking for a certain bot. Their name bein’ Y/N. You happen to know them?”

”Tall bot, two swords, yellow optics?” He says say he pointed at his own optics. Even tilting his head as he spoke.

”Yes that’s them! Heh. Wondering to ask them about possibly….I don’t know going out or somethin. So they work here. Right?” The two stared at each other. Yoketron had his helm tilted a bit as he stared down at him. After a second he finally blinks then narrowed his eyes.

”What is your name and occupation young bot?” he asks placing his cervos back behind his back.

”Name’s Kup. I’m currently training under the council for the military. I serve and protect to fight in any future wars and serve the city. I mostly handle in guns you see.” He gently pats his rifle in the gun holder on his hip. Yoketron seems a bit alarmed but stays firm as he listened.

“Would you say guns should be used for “much” combat in way?”

Kup thought for a moment. “Uhhh Well yes I suppose since it’s faster and gets the job done more then well why not?”

Yoketron stands there again. But his helm no longer titled as he then looked at him and blinked. At first Kup almost had a grin. Thinking he got him to agree to let him see you. But then as Yoketron walked out.

He was holding the back collar and waist of Kup. Throwing him out as he falls on his aft with a groan. Kup then looking back at Yoketron as he sat there.

”Until you can learn to find your inner peace and to not rely so heavily in the studies of…Just Guns. But the possible use to better help one forth called enemy. You may see my child then…Kup.”

He’d then close the door as Kup groans and stands up.

Walking away. That’s until he gets an idea as he sees the dojo is also a home in the upstairs.

When Yoketron walked up the stairs to the living room of your apartment later that evening, you were making energon cake to celebrate his birthday. You’d notice something was up with him. “Are you ready Sire?”

“Yes my little one.” He responds with a smile. You keep your usual smile and serve him his energon cake as he sits down. You taking your seat next to him as he looks at the candles. His cervos on the table. “Make a wish Sire.”

wait- How’d your know that happened?

……….They told me.

Oh-.

Now stop interrupting!

Sorry-

So..later after buying some flowers and walking around a store close by. Waiting for my chance of either their old man leaving or even just seeing them through the glasss window.

I soon saw my chance as I saw their Sire Yoketron walk out of the dojo. Once he was far enough and I saw then at the front desk. I went straight in for their heart! I was a lot more naive at the time….

After some cake, Yoketron got ready for his outing. “I’ll be visiting some old friends from my teen years. You’ll be fine while I’m out my little one?”

“Yes Sire. Now enjoy yourself. I shall be here upon your return.”

He nods and walks out after giving you a warm. As he left. It being mid afternoon. Kup was waiting on the other side of the building next door. You’d make your way to the front inside ahead of the front desk. You’d start cleaning the floors with a broom. From there Kup makes his way closer. Seeing you as you had your back to the glass door. He had some flowers from the store across.

Before he walked in he checked his looks at his reflection in the glass. He groan at himself. Why was he acting like this???

He’d then clear his throat once he walked in. “Y/N hello-“

You’d turn around and see him as you still held your broom. “Oh Kup hello. What brings you here? Are in search for self defense possibly?”

He chuckles as he got closer to you.

”Well no. I’m just here to speak uh speak to you actually…” You two are silent for a moment. He seemed like he wanted more to say.

“Uhhh these are for you!!! Thought it be a nice restart of…meeting?”

You chuckled as you set the broom down and gently took the flowers. Your cervos gently brushing against his.

He blushed a bit. And he had to hold back his grin from getting bigger. You gently smelled the flowers before looking at him. “Thank you Kup. They’re beautiful. Is there anything I can do for you?”

”Weeeeell a date would be nice. Maybe at that restuarent down the street of the broadcast tower?”

He was panicking inside as he looked at you. Your optics widened a bit and even had a small blush on your cheeks. Your smile only gone for a moment before soon returning. You’d narrowed your optics as you looked back at the flowers. You’d then let out a soft chuckle.

“Alright Kup. Since you asked so nicely.”

Kup had the cutest and most silliest grin as he looked at you. But from there both of your optics widened as you both look back at the sound of a voice. “Little one I apologize. I forgot to tell you….”

Yoketron walks in with a smile on his dermas. But that soon leaves when he sees ou too. Only seeing ou through the glass.

You stood there. Still holding a large bouquet in your arms as you stood there. Your face blank as your bright yellow optics looked up at him. Kups face now full of worry and a bit of fear.

You’d then smile.

”Ah Sire Welcome back. This is Kup. What was it that troubles you?”

Yoketron was definitely holding back as he forced a smile. “Oh doesn’t matter. Just missed you little one.”

He walks over to you ignoring Kup. “Ah these flowers are beautiful.”

”Aren’t they? Kup here bought them for the store across I believe. Aren’t they lovely.” You’d smile.as you looked at Kup. Kup was internally screaming on the inside. “I’ll uh see you then……Bye!”

From there Kup left as Yoketron rested a cervo on your shoulder. You were confused but then pulled from your train of thought as your Sire spoke.

“That young one is not guided well my little one. Best be careful with him as you carve your path. And I’m afraid I’ll be gone for a few days. So the shop will be closed for a few until the weekend. Understood my dear?”

You’d nod. “Yes Sire I’ll be fine.” He’d smile and leave. He’d then look around then make his way to his destination.

And so after that I made my way back to my apartment. I thought about them. That’s literally all I could do. I just couldn’t stop. It was then though that I realized…..I forgot to set a date and time-

And so that same night after some tips from some friends. I got an idea.

As you made you way to your berthroom. Writing in your notebook of possible weapon upgrades. You’re pulled from your thoughts as you hear a knock on your window. You’d then see its Kup hanging on for dear life.

“Kup!!!”

You’d open the window and he’d sit on the window frame. One leg in as he spoke.He

“Hey sorry I forgot to tell you a date and time.”

”Oh that’s alright figured you’d visit tomorrow or somethin…..Would you like anything?”

”Oh no no I’m just thinking maybe we can meet…meet at 4…tomorrow?”

You let out a soft chuckle and nod.

“Sure I’ll see you then Kup.” He took note your smile is a bit wider as lets out a nervious chuckled and you two stared at each other.

”Well I should probably uhh head home from there. S…see you then.” He climbs out and closes the window. Him smiling as you did the same. Both of you looking at each others optics. But when he tried to take a step back. Your body turned to the side before fully turning around as you crossed your arms.

Kup forgets he’s on a roof. He falls back and lets out a shout. You’d hear and run to the window. Opening it as you looked for him. Sticking your upper body out the window as you looked down.

”Are you alright?!”

”Yeah yeah…I’m fine.” He’d say as he stood up. After dusting himself off he waves at you with a smile. “Until then!”

“Until then…” You waved back as you watched him walk away. A chuckle leaving your intake and a smile on your dermas. After he was out of view you’d close the window and head to your berth.

And from there. So much has happened. Our date went perfect as you can imagine. The two of us having a lot on common in fact. We both enjoying a lot of things including guns and war tactics. They weren’t as peace on earth as you’d expect. Even when you’d look at their Sire. They had…more character and much tougher even.

Which defiently my type. After our date we ended the day with a kiss. Though I’ll admit I did get a bit carried away. But who wouldn’t?

And so after we’d have a few more dates. Eventualy when their sire returned I got to meet him in better terms. I eventually won his heart after I agreed to train under him for a good while just to gain his trust…..

And so after a few months after we started dating. I grew more in love with them every single day. Every..second I’d look at them. Think of them. And even when I didn’t think of them for a moment I’d still catch myself falling in love with them more and more. That was…..until the war started.

Everyone was choosing sides. Losing their jobs and so on. I wanted them to join the Autobots so that we can be together as we grow old through the war…but…

As you made your way into your shared apartment with Kup. He was sitting on the couch. His cervos together and his helm low. His knee moving up and down in his nervousness before he looked up at you.

“Y/N! You weren’t attacked were you?”

”No Kup. You know I can protect myself.” You say as he stood and walked up to you. His cervos on your waist as he looked down at you with worried optics.

You placing your cervos on his chest and shoulders as your forhelms touch. Tears forming in your optics.

”They…they got to Yoketron….I..I couldn’t tell if they were decepticons or Autobots-“

”Shh Shh Y/N. It’s ok…. I’m so sorry…He’s with the all spark now. He’s with Primus now. At least he wont be a part of this war now sweetspark…” He kisses your forhelm as you closed your optics.

You calm your tears as you looked up at him..”Kup……Megatron and Optimus Primes words….Their points of views….”

Kups optics widen a bit before returning to narrowing. Sad but almost hope in his optics as he spoke. “Y/N I…..I made the choice to join the Autobots….I..I don’t know if you…”

He sees tears fall down your cheeks more as you stared at him…..He finally sees it once you pulled back a bit. The decepticon logo on your chest as you cried. He just stares at it. Processing it..

”Is this…what you truly believe to be right for you sweetspark?” His voice cracked a bit at sweetspark.

His forhelm touching yours once more. “….Yes Kup…Megatron has a point with this…messed up system….and…and…” His dermas were against yours.

You returning the kiss immediately as both of your optics remained closed.

The kiss was passionate. Much like your first as it lasted. But…sadder now. Your soft kisses the only thing heard in the room as you both held each other for a bit longer.

Eventually he’d pull away for a moment. His dermas a little close to yours as he whispers. “I wont fight you sweetspark….But….” His cervos now on your shoulders as he pulls away. His optics soft as he has the frown he’ll soon wear all the time to his old age as he spoke.

”An autobot…cant be with a decepticon…and if our paths were to ever cross….we shouldn’t hold back….We are nothing more but enemies from then on……”He says as he walks past you to the door. Saying that last part as he opened the door.

“You shall always be in my spark…maybe in another life.” You two gave each other one last kiss. Not caring if it’s right or wrong…

Once he pulls away. He backs up only a little bit.

“Good bye..Sweetspark….I’ll always keep you in my spark.. even if I can’t see it.”

Once he was out. You teared up only more. You two saying that was your way of saying I love you. You falling to your knees as Kup hears your soft sobs through the door. Tears falling down his cheeks as he tried to remain strong. Making his way to Optimus once his tears finally disappeared….

———————————————————————————

“And that’s basically how it ended…”

The few of the wreckers were holding in their tears as they just stared at Kup.

Bulkhead though was the biggest cry baby in there as whirl tried to calm him down. “Chill out dude-“

”AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH It’s so Saaaaaaaaad” Bulkhead cries as he blows his “nose” in a tissue. As the others cry too, even Kup looked at them surprised.

Springer then becomes the one with the idea. “Kup maybe you should….talk to them. Try to understand this and well….maybe in some way…there’s hope for the both of ya.”

Kup took in his words as he looked down for a moment. The others agreeing with him as Kup then sighs. “Yeah I…Guess I’ll give it a try.”

He’d stand up as the others watched. Making his way the cells where you were behind held captive in.

You were already awake. Your cuffed to the wall with two of your arms up. Same with your ankles being cuffed as well as you could only watch out the window from your cell.

Eventually though you’d notice the cameras turning off as their lights turned off.

Kup soon appears, opening the cell. You took note he had a bandage on his leg and his arm. He did have a limp. He took note of your bandages as well. You had a patch over your eye now as well as a bandage on your thigh as you’re held up.

Along with a wrap around your waist.

He’d make his way to stand infront of you. Leaving the cell opened as you two stare at each other in silence.

Until he spoke.

”They um….patched you up pretty well huh..”

”Yeah..They did. …They um…They..:

“Kup..Why are you here?”

Kup thinks. He thinks hard as you look at him.

”Why don’t we..have a chat. Hm?” He pulls a chair and sits in front of you.

”Sure, not like I can go anywhere.” You both chuckled as you both began to speak. Talking abut the good. The bad. Everything throughout the year. Eventually the two of you reach a heart to heart.

Even as you spoke about how the Decepticons are no longer what they were build up for in the first place.

But despite you wanting to leave. It was a lot harder than what most Cybertronians would expect. You’d explain how you’d wish to leave but always felt so trapped. Especially when around Deaddlock who is one of the only few bots who can match you.

Then you two spoke about the past when you both dated. You made a mention. Something you forgot to keep secret from your hot headed partner. Causing him to stand up as he confronts you.

”You were once courted by Hound??! How come I never heard of this before??”

”He asked me to not tell you. Me and him just ended things on good terms when we realized it wouldn’t work out.”

”How long before us?”

”…………”

”Y/N.”

”mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm like two…..” He raises an optics ridge. “Two?…”

”weeks-“

”Two weeks before we met??!!”

”Yeap-“

Kup started losing his crap. Throwing the chair and talking shit about Hound.” That guy can’t even- UUGHH!!!”

”Yeah and after that he went into a relationship with his bosses daughter. At least he finally realized what he wanted before breaking another’s heart huh.”

You’d say with a smile as Kup finally calmed down. Before standing before you again. “Oh we are so having a talk later. I already…….I already spent enough time here…..”

”Will you…visit me again?”

You’d say as he looked at you before grabbing his cigar. Something he did out of habit everyday. He’d look at you. Your optic soft and…sad..

He’d then think again before coming closer to you. His chest almost touching yours as he spoke. “I want you to be honest with me….Do you…..Do you still love me Y/N?”

You’d stare into his optics. Both surprised but….honestly happy from his question. So as you opened your intake. You spoke nothing but the truth.

”Honestly….The love I have for you…It never truly went away. What we both had back then…It never truly stopped.”

Kup only stared at you. Knowing that you’re telling the truth. He’d then sigh before nodding as he looks at you once more. Only to start uncuffing the cuffs on your ankles.

”Kup what are you-“

“Before I do your hands…Y/N will you join the Autobots? Join me? The wreckers are one of the best teams you’ll ever join! Join me and we can restart!……This is the only chance I can give you…..”

His cervos rested on your waist as you looked away for a moment. Maybe this can be your chance?…..Why not? And so with a shaky voice but warm and soft…you spoke.

”I will fight..For the Autobots.” Causing Kup to smile as he finally releases your arms from the cuffs. His arm around your waist as he handles the other cuff.

So when you were finally not against the wall, you weight was against him and he gently sets you on the floor. Your cervos on his shoulders as his other arm wraps around your waist as well. You both staring at each other with small smiles on both of your dermas.

“So, you goin’ kiss me like you miss me?” You asked teasing. Him letting out a soft chuckle.

”Boy did I ever before huh?” You both let out a chuckle as your dermas soon meet.

Unlike your last one. Similar to your very first kiss. While still filled with love and passion. It wasn’t full of sadness like the last one. Or unsure and scared as the first one. This….this one is more certain. Almost impatient as your cervos move to the back of his helm.

His arms around your waist gently holding you against him as the kiss grows more hungry. His cervos then picking you up by your thighs, you moving your legs around his waist as your cervos remain where they are.

You’d pull away for a moment. Your optics narrowed as your dermas are close to his. His optics narrowed as well.

“I missed you Kup..”

“…..I missed you too sweetspark..” you both smiled.

Both soon returning to your kiss. It becoming more and more heating as you both cling to each other.

Luckily since the Wreckers didn’t have any other prisoners. You both didnt have to worry about making too much noise. Until you got forgot of course.

Before you both knew it Kup had your back against the wall. The sounds of your kisses and moans in the cell as you both soon then..hear a couple clicks.

You two defiently have a lot of making up to do. Every second worth it!

—Meanwhile with the Wreckers….

Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank Clank

Whirl was sipping on some energon coffee. Only for it to fall on his lap from the cup and make a mess as the others were playing cards. Springer having his cervos interlocked as he watched forward. Bulkhead then looking at Springer ad the others soon do the same.

Springer then sighs as he rubs the bridge of his nose. “He earned it. Can’t say scrap this time guys.”

The others groan.

“Yeah that’s it just like the old days!!!” Kup yells causing the wreckers to groan more and Bulkhead to cover his own audio sensors. This went on for a good while after…..-

Bonus—

As you spoke to the Wreckers.

Them curious on how someone like Kup was able to convince you to date him.

Looking at your point of view.

Kup can be seen in the background strangling Springer with just his cervos as Springers own are on Kups arms. Trying to stop him.

Yeah Springer told Kup why you were knocked out.

So Kup descided to teach the poor lad a lesson on what happens when you mess with his sparkmate.

A lesson he’ll surely never forget.

UGH!!!!!! I LOVED WRITING THIS!!!!! THIS WAS SO FUN AND GOD IM SO HAPPY TO FINALLY WRITE FOR HIM!!!!

I hope all you other Kup simps were able to read and enjoyed this. Sorry that it’s so long. I got so carried away but I regret nothing!!!! I hope you to see you guys in the comments and hear y’all opinions. So ya know don’t be too mean lol.

Anyway y’all know a repost is always appreciated and I hope to see you guys in the next post and have a good rest of your day!!!!

[sweetflanfiction]

Asymetrical Symphony - Part 6

Universe: Arcane (LOL)

Pairing: Viktor x reader

Summary: You had been on the rooftop with Jayce and the Herald and somehow you were sent to a place where things can be different with your help

Disclaimers and Warnings: If you want me to tag you on the chapters let me know! Also leave a comment with your thoughts :D Not finished, not proofread. English isn't my 1st language. All I know about LOL is from google and all I know about Arcane is taken from the show, so inacuracies will be plenty. I have a sort of idea on how to I'm gonna go with magic and runes, so bear with me. The reader will be written as GN (going by they/them) to get everyone involved, but if you see any discrepancies let me know.

A.N.: Thank you guys for commenting and faving the story. I'm always happy to read all you guys tell me! I'm going to try and reply back. Anywho, let the rollercoaster begin.

Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5

• ··········· • ············ •

The following week, you restarted the journey to becoming a member of Piltover's society under Esther’s wing. 

The official story was: Your real mother was your aunt, and you had come back to Piltover after your fictional mother died, and because your real mother's maternal instincts were so fine-tuned, your real mother didn't mind that you or anyone else, for that matter, called you her child, and her your mother. Complicated? Yep. It would feed the gossip circles for years, and honestly, you both thrived on the drama.

Clothes were brought, space was made, introductions were done, and the process of making you an official Rainemour in the world was set in motion. 

It felt like home, back to your old Topsider self, with the added extra of waking up, kicking and screaming with the feeling of fingertips on your forehead.

It had been a flurry of new faces, new places, and new customs. You met the house staff, Jaime and Oly, and the cook, Voltaire. While the two keepers lived on the lower floors, Voltaire lived somewhere other than the Cinquefoil building. He had been your mother’s friend for a few years and was the chef at several topside restaurants.

You still hadn't met the elusive Wyllah, but you had found out who she was. She was an art merchant, away on business, but most important, she was your mother’s significant other. Your mother had told you one night, almost in fear, she had found love after your father’s passing. You had blinked and shrugged. Nobody deserved to go through life alone.

Your mother’s life has been quite interesting on this side of the dimension rift. She was a writer, penning a series of fantasy books that magic lovers drank like water. She also found herself advocating for better education in Piltover. All of Piltover, especially the undercity. Esther tried to help those who wanted a chance to change their future.

It was only a matter of time until fate brought her and a certain engineer who also had a like-minded vision together. After that meeting, Esther became a patron of the Talis Lab and the Academy, helping with funding for any projects regarding the betterment of the city. 

And that was the reason why you were now making your way towards a familiar lab in the Academy. A commission for her needed approval and had been delayed long enough with the rocket attack and you appearing out of thin air. Or, according to the gossip, like an illegitimate child. 

“You didn’t need to come along.” She mumbled while pushing the elevator button.

“I wanted to come.” You smiled confidently at her. You wanted everyone to see you and become accustomed to you. It would be beneficial if you wanted to get into the business of saving the world. 

“To check on your friends?”  

You nodded. Before the Herald and the HexAngels, between Jayce becoming a councilor and the hextech showing its true colors, most of your time was divided between the music conservatory, the orchestra, Talis' labs, and home. And from all of those, home was the one you went to less and less with time. Therefore, when allowed to have even a single second of normalcy in a familiar place, you seized it. 

When the elevator dinged, you walked inside with a conviction that was only masking a feeling of nervousness. Yes, you knew this place and the face on the other side of the lab door, but they didn't. You were just a stranger.

“Has it changed much?” Your mother whispered, and you grinned at her.

“Nah, a few artworks and garbage cans. Some names on the doors, but nothing else.” 

“Really? Fascinating.” Her face was deep in thought.

“Stop.” You chuckled, knowing that look. She was taking mental notes. “It’s not that interesting.” 

The elevator pinged and opened again. Instinctively you walked out first, knowing exactly where to go, your mother keeping up with you, scoffing. 

“Well, excuse me if I find it amazing that my child jumped through time and space to save the world.”

“I didn’t save the world.” You rolled your eyes at her.

“Viktor is still alive, isn’t he?” She noted, raising her eyebrows.  

As soon as she finished that sentence, a small thump of a dry explosion was heard inside the hextech lab. Like an empty milk carton was squished with a stomp. 

“I’m sure he’s fine.” She added. 

Another small firecracker-like explosion was heard, prompting you both to look at each other and break into a jog to reach the lab.  

As expected, the door was locked, and although you had told your mom about a lot, the magic part was still something that needed some explanation. So you resorted to the least efficient way to open a closed door: banging on it. 

“Viktor! Jayce?” Esther shouted. A few groans from behind the door warned you there was someone alive inside. Well, capable of moaning in pain was more accurate. 

“Get the enforcers.” You mumbled to your mother; she nodded and raced around the corner. 

As soon as she was out of sight, you pulled your glove off and magically unlocked the door, punching the rune you painted near the lock. The door immediately opened with the force of your hit but didn’t swing open as expected. It hit something and bounced back, slamming shut again while someone grunted in pain on the other side. 

It’s funny how you could know someone from their tiniest squeak. And you knew that groan. You'd know it had it come from the other side of Piltover. Hells, you'd know it if it had been heard through the actual space and time rift. 

Carefully this time you twisted the door handle, opening the door gently and peeking inside the lab.

 Although the curtains were open, a dusty, thick white fog lingered in the air, making the room a shade darker. The floor was littered with tools, gears, and pencils that had fallen from their places, and a pair of goggles was lying on the floor next to a welding machine.

Viktor was sprawled on the ground, leaning back into one of his hands while the other was gently massaging his face. One of his legs was twisted uncomfortably, and the other was bent at the knee in front of him. You could see as he rubbed his face that there was blood coming from somewhere. After a while, he shook his head and looked up at the door.

When he managed to focus his gaze on you, his eyebrows knotted in confusion and then realization. With a sigh, he sat, grabbed the leg that was twisted uncomfortably, and brought it forward. You heard a metallic thud. Hextech leg. Your gaze shifted to his face; you saw the blood coming from his nose, but it didn’t seem broken. Above his eyebrow was a small curved gash, a courtesy of the goggles he probably ripped off his head.

 “We do need to stop meeting like this.” he mumbled, trying to get up with the grace of a baby deer using its long limbs for the first time.

 Putting your glove back on, you took a step closer and offered him a hand, which he accepted with raised eyebrows and a head tilt.

 With more expertise than he was expecting, you grabbed his hand and forearm and pulled him up. Picking this man off the floor had become a skill both you and Jayce obtained a long time ago. His disability unfortunately made him an easy target for misfires. While you and Jayce would easily dodge anything coming your way, Viktor wouldn’t. Couldn’t. And since the fastest way to move him fast was pushing him out of the way, the three of you would end up on the floor, and either you or Jayce would shield Viktor from whatever was malfunctioning at the time. It wasn't your proudest idea, but it worked, and for better or worse, you all would escape relatively unscathed.

 “Like what?” You asked, joining him in dusting off his clothes.

 You patted his back gently, feeling the brace on his spine under his clothes. You didn't find it.

 “After an explosion.” He swished the dust off his coat sleeves. The off-white coat was a tinge darker after the mishap. 

 “Technically, this is the first time we meet after an explosion.” You emphasized the word ‘after’ and he stopped mid-swipe, turning his face back towards you.

 Shrugging, you lifted the corners of your mouth, giving him a grin that he responded to with a chuckle. You looked around the mess that was the lab at this moment and spotted his white cane and his wheeled bench.

You grabbed the cane first and gently pushed the stool so it would roll down next to him. He plopped down with a groan, using the table as leverage. You handed him the cane, and he nodded. You smile at his messy figure.

 “Thank you.” He said, placing the cane between his knees and leaning into it with a heavy sigh.

 “Do you need anything else?” You asked softly, stopping the urge to kneel next to him and take stock of his injuries.

 “There is a first-aid kit somewhere on Jayce's desk. It’s on the...”

 Before he finished the sentence, you jiggled the white box next to him, having already grabbed it when he mentioned it.

 “How did…?” He asked, looking at you questioningly, and panic set in for a second.

 “Oh, my dear boy!” Your mother burst in, followed by several Enforcers, and you sighed in relief. 

 “Is everything alright?” One of the Enforcers said, and you took a step back, leaning against the table behind where Viktor sat.

 “Yes…” Viktor stated while your mother fussed over him.

 One of the enforcers looked at you, and you recognized his eyes. He had been one of the men you had pushed out of your way at the front door of the Academy. You looked at the floor, trying to not provoke the man.

 “Funny. You always seem to appear whenever anything goes boom, don't you?” He spat towards you. 

“Not funny at all.” You replied, your tone serious, trying once more not to escalate the situation. For your sake and the people you cared about who were now looking between you and the Enforcer.

“Maybe we should call Officer Kiraman. I’m sure she would like to know that once again you’re in the vicinity of an attack.” He snarled, and you scowled at him, about to let him have it.

“You are going to call Officer Kiraman over a malfunctioning piece of equipment?” Viktor interrupted, straightening up with a wince while using his cane to get up from the stool. “Do you think she’ll get here before or after reading all the condolence letters sent to her? Or perhaps she will make time on Remembrance Day, right before the speech honoring her deceased mother."

 A pin could be heard through the silence if a pin would have dropped in the lab. The main enforcer was looking at him, mouth hanging open; you and your mother looked at each other and then at a very collected, very serious Viktor. He seemed taller, with his shoulders straight, and you knew that after that tumble he was going to hurt for at least a week, but that didn't stop him from stepping up to the Enforcers. You had forgotten how much sass that man could pack in a single line.

 “When is it going to be, officer?” The engineer shrugged, limping back towards a pile of sheets that had flown back. “I need to tidy up before she gets here.”

 It took the group of Enforcers three seconds to clear out after that, and a collective sigh was heard from the three of you.

 “You’d think being knocked around would make their synapses work faster.” Viktor waved a hand at them, still picking up papers, stopping midway to look at you, like he had just realized you were there. “Not that I agree with knocking around enforcers…or that you knocked around enforcers… I’m just saying…”

 He was flustered, talking with his free hand while his eyes looked around the room. You chuckled, and he stopped when he heard you. 

 “You’re just saying…?” You teased, rolling your hand for him to keep going.

“Nothing of importance, I suppose.” He turned back to the table.

 “I was hoping you could show me the reader.” Esther announced, grabbing a few nuts and bolts and placing them next to Viktor. “But I imagine it's not functioning.”

 Viktor turned to her, realizing finally why you were both there. He smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck.

 “Well, yes and no.” He said, tilting his head from side to side. “The explosion wasn’t it, but it was a component that I was trying to recreate to use in another experiment.”

 “And now both are fried.” You answered by crossing your arms. 

“Well…yes. But if you give me a few hours, I can make it work, at least for the reader. The other thing will wait, I guess…” he said quickly. “Better yet, give me a few minutes so I can get it, and I can at least show you what I have for now.”

“It's quite alright, dear. Take your time. We can just come back another time.” Esther said, and part of you felt disappointed. 

 Your second home was right here.

“That would hardly be fair. You’ve made it here. Give me a few minutes, an hour tops.” He was limping around waving his hand and cane.

“I suppose I do need to speak with Councilor Salo.” Your mother shrugged nonchalantly. “Do you want to—”

“No.” You cut her off. “Not really. You go ahead. I’ll get reacquainted with the Academy.”

“Reacquainted?” Viktor inquired, looking towards you.

“Last time I was here, I didn’t exactly take the scenic route.” You covered your mistake with an easy joke, and he chuckled at it.

• ············ •

You managed to walk around the Academy undisturbed. It was weird to walk around the familiar corridors, passing by people you knew and fighting the urge to say hello and strike up a conversation. It was awfully lonely, seeing everyone going about their lives, never knowing about you.

 Although it saddened you, you understood that it wasn’t because you weren’t needed in their lives but because fate found a way to replace you. Maybe you hadn’t saved Sky from falling down the stairs in this universe, because maybe her classroom was on the same floor she was at.

As you wandered, you found yourself in a corridor with very recognizable double doors. The Council Chamber was guarded by several guards, and you felt the morbid curiosity to see if the room was the same as it was in your time. 

As you searched your brain for a way to bypass the guards, a familiar whispering in your ear. The rune from the elevator flashed behind your eyes. The one you hadn’t managed to make work. You took your gloves off again and drew the symbol in a railing, disguising it as an absent movement as you looked down to the courtyard. You let it go, and nothing happened for a couple of seconds.

And then the groaning of metal grinding against another surface filled your ears. Your eyes turned upwards as you saw the metal spike that held the Academy’s banner to the stone ceiling give way and slip. The heavy banner made a swoosh noise as it fell, and your eyes widened. 

You saw the Enforcers run towards the elevator and the stairs. You turned your back to them and waited until their hurried footsteps had softened. 

Quickly you made your way to the chamber through the door you had burst open. A new door had been placed and locked, but you unlocked it with three swipes of your fingers.

 The chamber room was as spacious as you remembered, the hole in the dome a grim reminder that those who sat in this room were as vulnerable as everyone else in the city. You remembered Viktor’s diagram, looking around at the empty and cracked chairs. Most of the smaller debris had been cleaned off, leaving only the big and medium chunks. The ones that couldn't just be carried off by crewmen. The sun shone high and bright in the clear sky, illuminating the whole room, the long pieces of the damaged dome casting a shadow on the floor.

You touched parts of the smooth stone that were still intact and walked toward the edge of the room, feeling the wind on your face. It had been an awakening to these people, but not the one that Piltover needed. This whole region forgot how hard it is to break a rope and how easy it is to break a strand. Only in the end did they figure out that the many are more powerful than the few. That blood, once spilt, is equally red whether it is from Zaun or Topside.

Closing your eyes, you stood for a moment, somewhat grieving what had been the beginning of the end.

(Nemo - The Code)

Welcome to the show. Let everybody know I’m done playing the game. I’ll break out of the chains.

Until the wind started whispering in your ear and your eyes shot open. What looked to be blue dust started to float like specks of dust toward the middle of the room, and you followed the flow. There was nothing there. But there could be. 

You better buckle up; I'll pour another cup. This is my bohème, so drink it up, my friend.

 Your hand moved unconsciously, drawing the rune in the air like it was second nature. You pushed it out with a flick of your hand. Like in the graveyard, it divided itself into several wisps of light and quickly moved toward parts of the broken table and chairs. A familiar rune appeared, but so did many others. Some are more complicated, others just little flicks of light. Shining bright in the middle of the rubble or being illuminated by sunlight.

I went to hell and back. To find myself on track, I broke the code.

 You walked towards what had been the middle of the cog-like shape and watched as the wisps danced around. Looking around, you noticed the runes were surrounding you, pulsating like a heartbeat; you noticed your hand doing the same, in rhythm with the wisps. You saw a small piece of rubble that had been missing by the cleaning crew and took a deep breath. 

“Here goes nothing.”

Let me tell you a tale about life, 'Bout the good and the bad; better hold on tight.

 Starting with the rune in front of you, you carved it on the floor, the piece of rubble in your hand serving as a makeshift chalk. You kept carving the runes on the floor in front of where they appeared in the air. The world around you faded, and your vision became focused.

 See the rune, and trace the rune on the floor. 

Let me taste the lows and highs; let me feel that burning fright.

It was automatic; you didn’t think or even study the rune. At some point, you felt like it was the rune commanding you to write, rather than your desire to write them. And even though it was akin to someone using your arm and hand to do this, it never felt like you couldn’t stop. 

 It was almost cathartic.

Somewhere between the O's and ones, that's where I found my kingdom come.

 When you found yourself at the beginning of the circle of runes, you stopped and took a step back. The wisps had disappeared, but you could see a faint light throbbing under the scratched runes. 

 It looked so unbelievably perfect for something that you had scratched on the floor with a piece of cement. Every space between runes was precise, and the little ticks and dots were perfectly balanced. 

 With that amount of rigor, it was easy to see something was missing, a single wisp in the spot where the cog table opened. Familiar strokes. Ones you’ve been looking at ever since you woke up in the hospital. 

 You looked at your palm, the rune there shining so bright it almost burned. Taking a few steps towards the space, you shook your hand in the air and slammed it into the slot.

My heart beats like a drum.

The whole room shook, and for a second you got scared, but when the runes started ungluing themselves off the ground and quickly zapping around different parts of the table, you became too fascinated with the show to care.

 If the building fell, you don’t think you’d even notice.

 Every piece of wreckage, big or small, started floating above you, aided by strands of magic that pushed and pulled and moved different pieces toward different places. Their rightful places. Once a piece found its match, it was welded together by a flash of blue light, leaving them complete with a trace of metallic blue where the crack had been.

I went to hell and back. To find myself on track, I broke the code.

 You noticed the same thing happening in the chairs, and by the end of the magic show, the table and the chairs were floating around you. Slowly drifting and turning into their right position. Until they wafted back down to the floor with an incredible low thud.

 It was almost overwhelming once it was all over how the silence settled around you. The runes on the floor disappeared, your hand stopped glowing, and the table was complete, whole, pieced together by little blue veins. The only thing you heard was the birds outside, the wind through the damaged dome, your heavy breathing, and the clunk of a metal cane hitting the floor.

 Your neck snapped at the sound, and you saw a wide-eyed Viktor standing in front of the side door you had entered.

 “Your… your mother is… She’s looking for you.” He stuttered.

• ··········· • ············ •

@marshy-moo @victormydarling @blueesmiski @th3stup1dcat @22carolina08 @httpstes @that-one-shitty-blog @disa-pointment @sseleniaa @moons-lighttrail @aysluxe @fae-doodle @kitewa @local-mr-frog @bakusquadobsessed @cherry-cola-100 @optimistic-but-very-realistic @seeksrsnn @thecordelialetters @notsaelty

[nerdycheol]

I Loathe You Forever? - I

❤️‍🔥Pairing: real estate developer!jungkook x architect!f reader

❤️‍🔥Genre: Enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romance, comedic misunderstandings, professional rivalry, personal growth, future smut

❤️‍🔥wc: 7.5k

‼️JOIN THE TAGLIST by sending an ask or replying under this post‼️(those who asked to be added to taglist will be added for every part of this series)

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note: ahhh finally here!! sorry for the delay guys. writers block took over me. also, i don't have much knowledge in the field of architecture, all i that have written is based on the little searching i did. so forgive me if anything is wrong. Hope you like it.

(TAGLIST OPEN)

next ⏭

Chapter 1: The Nemesis

You adjusted your blazer, brushing invisible lint off your sleeve as you stepped into the sleek, glass-walled conference room. The sunlight streaming through the high-rise windows gleamed on the polished table, emphasizing the grandeur of the setting. You exhaled slowly, forcing down the irritation bubbling within you. This wasn’t your first time being summoned to a high-stakes negotiation meeting, but today was different. He would be there.

Jeon Jungkook.

Just thinking his name made your jaw tighten. He exuded an air of confidence so thick it bordered on arrogance, his smirk practically a trademark of his existence. You’d crossed paths with him multiple times—at architecture expos, during bidding wars for projects, and once in a particularly heated argument that ended with him walking away smugly as you seethed in silence.

"Good morning," you greeted the group already seated at the table, keeping your tone polite but professional.

The client’s representatives nodded, but your gaze instinctively shifted to the far end of the room, where Jungkook leaned casually against the wall, scrolling through his phone. He looked effortlessly put together, as usual. His tailored suit fit him like a glove, and his dark hair fell just slightly over his forehead, giving him an air of both charm and menace.

"Ah, look who decided to join us," he drawled, not even bothering to look up. "I thought you might’ve bailed when you heard I was attending."

Your fingers tightened around the strap of your briefcase, but you forced a smile. "And miss the chance to outshine you? Never."

That made him glance up, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk. "Outshine me? That’s ambitious."

"Ambition is the backbone of success," you replied coolly, taking your seat across from him.

The room fell into a tense silence as everyone seemed to sense the undercurrent of hostility between you two. It was no secret that you and Jungkook didn’t get along, and while some found your rivalry entertaining, others probably wished you’d sort it out—or, at the very least, keep it out of professional spaces.

The meeting began with formal introductions and a presentation about the project—a groundbreaking, sustainable luxury housing complex that was bound to make waves in the industry. You took meticulous notes, occasionally glancing at Jungkook. He was annoyingly composed, nodding at key points and even asking insightful questions that made you begrudgingly respect him.

When it was your turn to speak, you rose confidently, presenting your ideas with the passion and precision you were known for. You could feel his gaze on you the entire time, but you didn’t falter. Not until he interrupted.

"That’s an interesting take," he said, his voice smooth but laced with condescension. "But don’t you think the budget constraints would make your design unrealistic?"

You turned to him, narrowing your eyes. "Not if the materials are sourced correctly. I’ve already identified suppliers who can meet both cost and quality requirements."

He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. "And if they fail to deliver?"

"They won’t," you snapped. "Because unlike you, I don’t make baseless promises. I do my research."

A low murmur spread through the room, and you caught the amused glint in the client’s eyes. Jungkook, however, didn’t seem fazed. He simply tilted his head, as if weighing your words, before letting out a soft chuckle.

"Touché," he said, and for a brief moment, you thought you saw something other than mockery in his expression—something closer to respect.

The rest of the meeting continued in a similarly tense fashion, with the two of you subtly (and sometimes not-so-subtly) undermining each other. By the time it ended, you were mentally exhausted but determined not to let it show.

As you packed your things, Jungkook approached, hands casually tucked into his pockets.

"Not bad today," he said, his tone almost casual. "For someone who’s always playing catch-up."

You clenched your jaw, refusing to rise to the bait. "Funny. I was just about to say the same to you."

His smirk widened. "You know, if you put half as much energy into working with me as you do fighting me, we might actually accomplish something impressive."

You stepped closer, meeting his gaze with unwavering determination. "I’d rather quit this project than work with you."

"Careful," he murmured, his voice low but teasing. "Words like that have a way of coming back to haunt you."

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving you standing there, seething and utterly annoyed. You didn’t know what frustrated you more—his smug attitude or the fact that he always seemed to have the last word.

//

The afternoon sun poured into the cafeteria, warming the modern space with its open design and glass walls. You sat with your friends at a corner table, trying to shake off the lingering annoyance from the morning meeting. A tray of food sat in front of you, mostly untouched, as you poked at the pasta with your fork.

“Are you okay?” Jisoo asked, her brows furrowed with concern. “You’ve been unusually quiet since the meeting.”

“I’m fine,” you muttered, though your scowl gave you away. “Just tired of certain people.”

“Certain smug people?” Yuna chimed in knowingly, grinning as she sipped her iced coffee.

You gave her a pointed look but didn’t respond, focusing instead on rearranging your food into neat sections.

The conversation was interrupted by a familiar voice that made you freeze.

“Well, isn’t this a lovely group,” Jungkook drawled as he approached your table, a casual, almost predatory smile on his face.

Your friends looked up in surprise, while you mentally cursed the universe for your terrible luck.

“Hello,” he said smoothly, his tone polite but carrying just enough of that signature Jungkook smugness to set your teeth on edge. “How are you all? Having a good meal?”

“Hi, Jungkook,” Jisoo replied, her tone warm as she smiled at him.

“Yes, thank you,” Yuna added politely.

You, however, stayed silent, your fingers tightening around your fork.

Jungkook’s gaze shifted to you, and his smile widened. “No witty remarks today? I’m almost disappointed.”

You forced a tight smile. “I’m saving my energy for people who deserve it.”

He chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. “Well, don’t let me ruin your lunch. Have a good meal.”

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving your table in a sudden hush.

Jisoo broke the silence first, looking after him with a thoughtful expression. “He’s so polite. Why do you hate him so much?”

“Polite?” you repeated, your voice shooting up an octave. “He’s cunning! A fox in a rabbit’s clothing. He only cares about himself, always looking for ways to outshine everyone and make them feel small.”

Yuna snorted, trying to stifle her laughter. “A fox? Really?”

“Yes!” you said, throwing your hands up in exasperation. “He’s smug, manipulative, and—” You paused, groaning loudly. “Ugh! I’ve lost my appetite.”

Jisoo and Yuna exchanged amused glances before Jisoo said, “You should eat. You’ll need energy to fight against the ‘fox.’”

Yuna grinned, nudging your tray closer to you. “Come on. It’s fuel for the battle.”

You huffed, reluctantly taking a small bite of pasta as they laughed at your expense. Despite your annoyance, you couldn’t help but smile faintly at their teasing.

Little did you know, Jungkook had overheard just enough of your outburst to find it endlessly entertaining.

The next few weeks passed in a blur of meetings, phone calls, and emails, all of which included one consistent, infuriating factor: Jeon Jungkook. It seemed as though he had made it his personal mission to counter every idea you presented, every proposal you crafted, and every small victory you claimed. It wasn’t just work—it was war.

At first, you thought you could ignore him. His sarcastic remarks, his polished smile, his irritating habit of leaning back in his chair during meetings like he owned the world. But the more you tried to focus on your work, the more he found ways to disrupt your peace.

It was on a particularly stressful Wednesday afternoon, during yet another project meeting, that he pushed you too far.

“While I appreciate the effort,” Jungkook said, his tone dripping with false politeness, “don’t you think your design is a little… ambitious? We’re trying to appeal to practicality here, not fantasy.”

You inhaled sharply, gripping the edge of the conference table. “Ambitious is exactly what this project needs, Jungkook. Unlike some people, I don’t believe in settling for mediocrity.”

The room went silent, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. The other team members exchanged wary glances, clearly uncomfortable with the escalating hostility.

Jungkook’s eyes sparkled with amusement, as if he lived for these moments. “Mediocrity, huh?” he said, leaning forward slightly. “And here I thought practicality was just another word for success.”

Before you could retort, the project manager—an older, no-nonsense woman named Mrs. Kang—cleared her throat loudly.

“Enough,” she said firmly, her sharp gaze darting between the two of you. “We’re here to collaborate, not tear each other apart. If you two can’t keep your personal rivalry out of this project, I’ll find someone who can.”

The reprimand stung, but you swallowed your pride and nodded. Jungkook, to his credit, looked slightly chastised, though his smirk didn’t entirely disappear.

After the meeting, you stayed behind to gather your notes, hoping to avoid any further interaction with him. Your friends, Jisoo and Yuna, had lingered as well, partly out of curiosity and partly because they seemed to have made it their mission to witness every interaction between you and Jungkook.

“Well, that was intense,” Yuna remarked, leaning against the table with a sly grin. “You almost had him there.”

“Almost?” you said, raising an eyebrow as you shoved papers into your bag. “I’d say I held my ground pretty well.”

“You did,” Jisoo said with a supportive nod, though her expression was tinged with concern. “But maybe tone it down a little next time? Mrs. Kang looked like she was ready to throw her clipboard at you both.”

Before you could respond, a familiar voice cut through the conversation.

“You know,” Jungkook said casually as he approached, standing beside your group with his trademark smirk, “I think Mrs. Kang likes you better when you’re not scowling.”

Yuna stifled a laugh, while Jisoo’s eyes widened slightly. You straightened up, glaring at him. “And I think the rest of us like you better when you’re not talking.”

He laughed, the sound warm and unguarded, catching you—and apparently your friends—off guard. Jisoo blinked in surprise, and Yuna looked between the two of you with barely concealed amusement.

“Relax,” Jungkook said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “I’m just messing with you.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” you asked dryly, slinging your bag over your shoulder.

“Maybe,” he said, his expression softening slightly. “You’re not as bad as you think, you know. When you’re not trying to annihilate me, that is.”

His words left you momentarily speechless. Before you could think of a reply, he turned to Yuna and Jisoo, giving them a polite nod. “Ladies,” he said, before walking away, leaving you with a strange mix of frustration and confusion.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Yuna grinned mischievously. “Did he just compliment you? I think he’s warming up to you.”

“Warming up?” you repeated, incredulous. “I think he’s just finding new ways to mess with me.”

Jisoo tilted her head thoughtfully. “Or maybe he’s just… not that bad?”

You shot her a look. “Not you too.”

Yuna laughed, slinging an arm around your shoulders. “Come on, let’s grab coffee. You’re going to need the caffeine to deal with him tomorrow.”

Despite your annoyance, you allowed them to steer you toward the cafeteria, their teasing chatter providing a welcome distraction from the lingering echo of Jungkook’s unexpected words.

//

Later that evening, you sat cross-legged on your small couch, biting absentmindedly into a biscuit as you stared at the project plans displayed on your laptop screen. Despite your best efforts, the words and numbers blurred together, your mind circling back to Jungkook’s parting comment.

“You’re not as bad as you think.”

You sighed, chewing a little more aggressively than necessary. What did he even mean by that? And why did it bother me so much?

A muffled noise from the other side of the wall pulled you from your thoughts. You froze mid-bite, tilting your head toward the sound. It was faint but persistent, a combination of shuffling and the occasional thud.

“Is someone finally moving in?” you murmured, brushing the crumbs off your hands. “I hope it’s someone nice.”

Clapping your hands to remove the last traces of dust, you stood and stretched. “I should sleep now,” you muttered, shutting your laptop and heading to your bedroom.

//

The next morning was a blessed weekend, and you decided to hit the gym for a workout. The familiar buzz of people and the clang of weights greeted you as you stepped inside, ready to lose yourself in the rhythm of exercise. 

 After a quick warm-up, you moved onto the treadmill, your earbuds blasting your favorite playlist.

Just as you settled into a comfortable rhythm, you heard a familiar voice cut through the music.

“Good morning.”

Your eyes widened as you turned to see Jungkook, his smug grin in full effect, standing a few feet away in athletic gear.

“What are you doing here?” you asked, pulling out one earbud. “You don’t go here.”

“I do now,” he replied casually, holding up a water bottle as if it were proof of his membership.

You scowled. “Great. I used to only see your face on weekdays, and now you’ve ruined my weekends too.”

He smirked. “Happy to be of service.”

Muttering under your breath, you turned your attention back to the treadmill, determined to ignore him. Unfortunately, his presence lingered in the back of your mind throughout your workout.

After finishing at the gym, you returned to your apartment building, sweat-soaked but feeling lighter. That relief disappeared the moment you spotted Jungkook standing outside his door—the apartment next to yours. He was fiddling with his keys when you approached.

“Are you stalking me?” you huffed, crossing your arms.

He looked up, eyebrows raised. “What are you talking about? This is my house.” He motioned toward the door beside yours.

You froze. “You’re the new neighbor?!”

His lips twitched with amusement. “Surprise.”

Throwing your hands in the air, you muttered, “Did a black cat cross my path or something?”

He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. “Why blame the cat? Sounds like your luck.”

“Ugh! Whatever. Just don’t talk to me,” you snapped, storming into your apartment and slamming the door shut.

//

The next morning, your alarm blared, jolting you awake. “Crap, I’m late!” you exclaimed, scrambling out of bed. You threw on clothes, grabbed your bag, and dashed out the door.

In the parking lot, you stopped short. Your car tire was completely flat.

“What the hell? I’m already late!” you groaned, kicking the deflated tire. As if on cue, a car honked behind you. Turning, you saw Jungkook’s car idling nearby. He rolled down the window, smirking as usual.

“What happened? Flat tire?” he asked.

“No, I just thought I’d admire the pavement,” you snapped.

He chuckled. “Get in. I’ll drop you off.”

“Forget it. I’ll just take the bus or something.”

“You’re already late,” he pointed out. “Waiting for a bus will make you even later. Just get in. We’re going to the same place, anyway.”

Reluctantly, you sighed. “Just my luck,” you muttered, climbing into the passenger seat.

As you settled in, he leaned over, his hand brushing past yours to grab the seatbelt. You stiffened, your breath hitching at the unexpected closeness.

“What are you doing?!” you exclaimed, leaning away.

“You forgot to wear your seatbelt,” he said nonchalantly, buckling it for you. His proximity made your cheeks warm.

Clearing your throat, you said, “Just drive.”

The ride was suffocatingly quiet, save for the occasional hum of the engine and the faint melody of a radio station playing in the background. You stared out the window, counting streetlights, while Jungkook drove with a maddening calm, as though he wasn’t the reason your morning was already spiraling out of control.

When you finally reached the office, you spotted Jisoo and Yuna near the entrance. They waved, each holding a coffee cup.

“There you are!” Jisoo said, handing you your usual order. “But why are you two coming together? Did you guys make up?” She nodded toward Jungkook, who was parking his car.

You scoffed. “You think? It feels like I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.”

Yuna grinned. “You sure it’s just today?”

Rolling your eyes, you took a sip of coffee, ignoring their teasing. From across the lot, Jungkook caught your eye and winked, making you groan inwardly.

It’s going to be a long day.

The following week, the project’s momentum picked up, and with it came the next challenge: site inspections. The project’s location, an expansive plot of land nestled just outside the bustling city, was to host a blend of eco-friendly architecture and luxury living. It was a brilliant concept, one you were proud to contribute to.

But, of course, Jungkook had to be there.

You arrived at the site early, your boots crunching against the damp gravel as you stepped out of your car. The sky was a murky gray that promised rain at any moment.  The workers were setting up survey equipment, and Mrs. Kang was speaking to the lead engineer near the makeshift office trailer.

You greeted her briefly before diving into your inspection. Walking the perimeter, you visualized how the landscape would transform: sleek, energy-efficient homes nestled seamlessly into the natural terrain. You smiled to yourself, already drafting ideas in your head.

That brief moment of peace was shattered when a familiar voice cut through the air.

“Careful not to trip over your own ambition.”

You turned, already annoyed, to find Jungkook strolling toward you, hands in his pockets, an insufferable grin on his face. He looked out of place in the rugged setting, his polished shoes and tailored jacket a stark contrast to your practical attire.

“Do you have anything useful to say, or are you just here to be a nuisance?” you shot back.

“I’m here to inspect the site,” he replied smoothly, stopping a few feet away from you. “Same as you. Unless you’d prefer I stay out of your way?”

“That would be ideal,” you muttered, turning back to your notes.

“Noted,” he said, though he made no move to leave. Instead, he stood beside you, his gaze scanning the horizon. “You’re imagining it, aren’t you? How it’ll all look once it’s built.”

You hesitated, caught off guard by his observation. “Of course. Aren’t you?”

He shrugged. “I prefer to deal in realities, not fantasies.”

You scoffed, scribbling a note on your pad. “That’s the problem with you. You don’t dream big enough.”

“And that’s the problem with you,” he countered, his tone light but pointed. “You dream so big, you forget about the details that make it all possible.”

His words stung more than you cared to admit, but you refused to let him see it quickly masking your reaction with a smirk. “And yet, somehow, I always manage to make my dreams a reality. Maybe you should take notes.”

Jungkook chuckled softly, his gaze flicking to you. “I don’t need to take notes, ___.” He leaned slightly closer, the warmth of his presence unsettling in the cool morning air. “I just need to make sure you don’t overlook the cracks in your perfect vision.”

Before the conversation could escalate further, Mrs. Kang approached, clipboard in hand. “Enough flirting, you two,” she said dryly, startling you both.

You gaped at her, heat rushing to your face. “Flirting? We’re not—”

“Whatever it is, keep it professional,” she interrupted, cutting you off. “We’ve got a lot to cover today, and I need both of you on the same page.” You marched ahead, eager to put distance between yourself and the aggravating man.

The briefing began, with Mrs. Kang detailing the challenges of incorporating the sustainable design into the natural landscape without compromising the luxury aspect. It was an intricate balance, one you knew was crucial to the project’s success.

As she spoke, you noticed Jungkook occasionally glancing in your direction, as if gauging your reaction. You ignored him, focusing instead on contributing ideas to address potential construction delays. Yet, every time you spoke, Jungkook would counter with his own points—some valid, others seemingly designed to provoke you.

It was a delicate dance, the two of you weaving between collaboration and combativeness, and everyone present could feel the tension simmering beneath the surface.

Once the meeting concluded, the group split off to survey different areas of the site. Unfortunately, Mrs. Kang assigned you and Jungkook to the same section.

“Great,” you muttered under your breath as you grabbed your gear.

Jungkook caught up to you, a teasing smile playing on his lips. “Looks like we’re stuck together. Try not to lose your temper, yeah?”

“Try not to test my patience,” you snapped back, quickening your pace.

The two of you navigated the uneven terrain in tense silence, the only sounds being the crunch of gravel underfoot and the distant hum of machinery. Despite the irritation simmering within you, you couldn’t help but notice the way Jungkook’s sharp eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in every detail.

“This area’s going to be a challenge,” he said finally, breaking the silence. “The slope’s too steep for a traditional foundation.”

You nodded reluctantly, scribbling in your notebook. “We’ll have to design a tiered structure. It’ll cost more, but it’ll integrate better with the environment.”

“Agreed,” he said, surprising you with his lack of sarcasm.

For a brief moment, the hostility between you eased, replaced by a shared understanding of the task at hand. It was... unsettling, this glimpse of a Jungkook who wasn’t insufferable.

But the truce didn’t last long.

As you crouched to examine a patch of soil near the slope, Jungkook crouched beside you, his proximity making you acutely aware of his presence.

“Don’t fall,” he said, his tone laced with mock concern.

You shot him a glare. “I think I can manage.”

He smirked. “Just checking. I’d hate to see you take a tumble—though I’m sure you’d land gracefully.”

Your lips twitched despite yourself, but you refused to let him see you smile. “If you’re done with the commentary, maybe you could focus on the work?”

“Always focused,” he replied with a casual shrug, leaning back on his heels .

The two of you worked in relative silence after that, occasionally exchanging remarks but mostly staying out of each other’s way. Still, you couldn’t deny the odd sense of balance you felt. As much as Jungkook annoyed you, there was no denying that he challenged you—and, in some ways, made you better.

By the time the day ended, the sun was dipping low on the horizon, casting the site in golden light.

“Well,” Jungkook said as you packed up your things. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

You raised an eyebrow. “If by ‘not so bad,’ you mean tolerable, then sure.”

He chuckled, slinging his bag over his shoulder. “Careful, ___. You might start liking me.”

You scoffed, brushing past him. “Won’t you like that?”

The site inspection lasted longer than expected, with Mrs. Kang pointing out areas of concern and requesting alternative solutions. You focused on the discussion, ignoring the occasional pointed remarks Jungkook threw your way. By the time the meeting wrapped up, the sun was dipping low on the horizon, casting a golden glow over the site.

“Good work today,” Mrs. Kang said, giving both of you a nod before heading to her car.

You exhaled, relieved to be done for the day. Gathering your things, you made your way back to your car, eager to leave Jungkook and his infuriating smirk behind.

But, of course, he was right behind you.

“Heading out already?” he asked casually.

You shot him a sideways glance. “Unlike some people, I don’t loiter for no reason.”

He chuckled, pulling his keys from his pocket. “Maybe I just enjoy the view.”

You paused, caught off guard by his words. When you turned to look at him, he was already walking toward his car, his expression unreadable.

What was that supposed to mean?

Shaking your head, you climbed into your car and drove away, determined not to dwell on the strange moment.

But as you lay in bed that night, replaying the day’s events in your mind, you couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to Jungkook than the infuriating façade he so carefully maintained.

//

The following days were a whirlwind of preparations for the next phase of the project. Meetings turned into late nights at the office, and the constant pressure made it difficult to think about anything—or anyone—else. Yet, somehow, Jungkook always found a way to intrude on your thoughts. Whether it was his annoying quips during meetings or the rare moments when he actually offered useful insights, he was impossible to ignore.

And then there were those chance encounters in the hallway of your apartment complex. At times, you'd walk back to your unit after a long day, only to find him leaning casually against the wall outside his door, scrolling through his phone or adjusting his jacket. The sight of him, always so effortlessly put together, would grind your nerves in the most infuriating way.

You hated that.

And yet…

There was something oddly grounding about his presence. Something that kept you on your toes, pushing you to be better, sharper, more determined.

Not that you’d ever admit it to him.

//

The unexpected moments of civility between you and Jungkook were becoming annoyingly frequent, leaving you with a strange, unsettled feeling. No matter how much you tried to resist, there was something undeniably magnetic about the way he pushed you—both in your work and under your skin. The snarky remarks, the constant tension, and those rare moments when you actually managed to work together were beginning to blur the line between pure irritation and... something you refused to acknowledge.

The project was demanding enough without having to navigate your complicated feelings toward the man who seemed to have an uncanny ability to get under your skin.

The following week, you found yourself once again working late in the office, trying to meet the growing deadlines for the project. The building was quiet, the hum of the fluorescent lights filling the space. As the clock ticked closer to midnight, you couldn’t help but notice the familiar presence of Jungkook leaning against the doorframe.

“Still here?” he asked, his voice breaking the silence.

You glanced up, your tired eyes narrowing at him. “What do you want now?”

He grinned, his expression mischievous. “I was just about to ask you the same thing. Aren’t you tired of working yourself to the bone?”

You rolled your eyes, closing the contract in front of you. “I have deadlines, unlike some people.”

Jungkook pushed off from the doorframe, walking further into the room. “Yeah, well, some of us know how to balance work and... other things.”

You raised an eyebrow, sensing that this conversation was going somewhere you didn’t want it to go. “Other things? Like what?”

He paused, then leaned against the desk, his eyes locking with yours. “Like... not taking everything so seriously.”

You swallowed, a flicker of something strange stirring in your chest. “I take my work seriously, Jungkook. Unlike some people, I don’t waste my time.”

There it was again—the challenge in his eyes, the unspoken understanding between you. For a moment, neither of you spoke. The air in the room felt charged, thick with an unspoken tension. Finally, he broke the silence.

“You know, you’re not as bad as you pretend to be,” he said, his tone almost contemplative.

You blinked, caught off guard by the statement. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shrugged. “Just an observation. You’ve got a lot of potential. But sometimes you’re too busy fighting to see it.”

Your heart skipped a beat, the unexpected compliment catching you off guard. You opened your mouth to respond, but the words escaped you. Instead, you focused on the papers in front of you, trying to divert the conversation back to something you could control.

“Stop,” you muttered, not wanting to hear anymore. “We’re not friends. Don’t pretend we are.”

Jungkook’s smile faltered, but only for a second. “I wasn’t pretending,” he replied, his voice quieter now.

You looked up to find him staring at you, the usual smirk replaced by something far more serious. But before you could say anything, he turned and walked toward the door.

“Goodnight, ___,” he said softly, pausing at the threshold. “Try to get some rest.”

You didn’t reply, instead watching as he left the room, the door clicking shut behind him. You sat there for a moment, the weight of his words lingering in the air. It was the first time in a long while that you found yourself wondering if Jungkook was more than just the annoyingly handsome man you had to deal with.

The following day, you arrived at the office early, determined to get ahead. You had a meeting with Mr. Kim in an hour, and you wanted to make sure every detail of your presentation was perfect.

The quiet hum of the office greeted you as you set up in the conference room, spreading out your notes and adjusting the slides on the projector.

You were so absorbed in your work that you didn’t notice Jungkook standing in the doorway until he cleared his throat.

“Early bird,” he remarked, stepping inside.

You glanced up, surprised to see him. He was holding a folder, his expression unusually neutral.

“Shouldn’t you be sleeping in? Or is this your way of keeping up with me?” you asked, arching an eyebrow.

Jungkook smirked. “If I wanted to keep up with you, I’d have to slow down first.”

Your jaw clenched, but before you could retort, he held up the folder.

“Relax,” he said, his tone almost teasing. “I’m here for Mr. Kim’s meeting too.”

“You?” you asked, incredulous. “I thought you weren’t involved in this project anymore.”

“Things change,” he replied cryptically, taking a seat at the table.

You stared at him for a moment, suspicion creeping in. But there was no time to dwell on it—Mr. Kim walked in moments later, his presence commanding immediate attention.

//

The meeting was tense. Mr. Kim scrutinized every detail of your proposal, his sharp gaze cutting through your explanations. Jungkook, to your irritation, chimed in more than once, pointing out areas that could be “streamlined” or “revised.”

At one point, Mr. Kim leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful.

“You both clearly have strong opinions,” he said, looking between you and Jungkook. “But I need a cohesive vision. If we combine both your ideas I believe the results would be better, don’t you think?” he asked Mrs. Kang, his tone calm but pointed.

Mrs. Kang nodded in agreement, her expression firm as she turned to you and Jungkook. “You’ll work together on this and present a joint proposal by the end of the week. I expect nothing less than a refined, cohesive vision.”

Your heart sank. A joint proposal?

You chanced a glance at Jungkook, who maintained a neutral expression, his features unreadable as if he had expected this outcome all along. He gave a small nod, his voice steady and calm as he replied, “Understood.”

You forced a smile, masking your frustration. “Of course.”

As the meeting adjourned, you gathered your notes, avoiding Jungkook’s gaze. But as you turned to leave, he fell into step beside you.

“This should be fun,” he said dryly.

“Fun?” you shot back, your voice low. “If by fun you mean unbearable, then sure.”

Jungkook chuckled, his tone lighter than expected. “Come on, we’ve worked together before. This won’t be so bad.”

You stopped walking, turning to face him. “That’s because you weren’t actively trying to sabotage me before.”

His expression softened, the humor fading. “I’m not trying to sabotage you.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” you muttered, brushing past him.

But his next words stopped you in your tracks.

“For what it’s worth,” he said quietly, “I think your idea has merit. It just needs refining.”

You turned to look at him, surprised by the unexpected compliment. He met your gaze evenly, no trace of sarcasm in his tone.

“Thanks,” you said, the word awkward but genuine.

He nodded, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Don’t mention it. Literally.”

You couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped you, though you quickly stifled it.

“See you at 3,” you said, turning on your heel before he could see the faint smile tugging at your lips.

As you walked away, you couldn’t shake the feeling that Jungkook was more than the rival you’d always seen him as.

The day passed in a haze of back-to-back meetings and endless emails. By the time three o’clock rolled around, you were already dreading the joint session with Jungkook.

The conference room felt a little too big when you walked in. Jungkook was already there, leaning back in his chair with his laptop open. He glanced up as you entered, and for once, his expression was unreadable.

“Ready to collaborate?” he asked, his tone suspiciously light.

You set your notebook down, ignoring his attempt at humor. “Let’s just get this over with.”

Jungkook chuckled softly, closing his laptop. “You always make it sound like working with me is a death sentence.”

You didn’t respond, choosing instead to spread out your notes and connect your laptop to the projector. Jungkook watched you in silence, which only made the tension in the room thicker.

Once everything was set up, you cleared your throat. “We need to streamline the sections on resource allocation and timeline management. Mr. Kim was clear about that.”

Jungkook nodded, leaning forward. “Agreed. But we also need to address scalability. Your plan is solid, but it doesn’t leave much room for growth.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. “It’s a proposal, Jungkook, not a five-year strategy. The goal is to secure approval for the immediate next steps.”

“And if the immediate next steps aren’t sustainable?” he countered.

The back-and-forth continued, each of you stubbornly defending your perspectives. It wasn’t until nearly an hour later that the conversation took a slightly different turn.

“You’re not listening,” you said, exasperated. “I’m not saying scalability doesn’t matter, but—”

“I’m listening,” Jungkook interrupted, his tone calm. “I just don’t agree with you.”

You let out a frustrated sigh, pinching the bridge of your nose. “Fine. Then what’s your brilliant solution?”

He leaned back in his chair, his expression thoughtful. “We split the sections. I’ll handle scalability and resource optimization. You take the timeline and project scope. We’ll merge it once we’re done.”

It wasn’t a bad idea, but admitting that felt like handing him a victory. “Fine,” you said grudgingly.

Jungkook smirked. “You’re welcome.”

“Don’t push it,” you muttered, turning back to your laptop.

The next few days passed in a blur of work. True to his word, Jungkook focused on his assigned sections, and you had to admit—begrudgingly—that his suggestions were solid. But working with him still wasn’t without its challenges.

"Your timeline’s too aggressive," he said one evening as the two of you reviewed the merged proposal.

You shot him a glare. "It’s realistic."

"It’s unrealistic if you expect people to work 12-hour days," he replied, leaning back in his chair. "Not everyone’s a workaholic like you."

"Maybe if everyone were, we’d get things done faster," you shot back.

Jungkook laughed, the sound catching you off guard. "You’re impossible, you know that?"

You crossed your arms, but there was no malice behind your glare. "And you’re insufferable. So, I guess we’re even."

For a moment, the tension eased. You caught a faint trace of a smile on Jungkook’s face, and it was… disarming. But before you could dwell on it, he cleared his throat, his expression turning serious.

"We’ll need to present this together. Have you thought about how we’ll divide the slides?"

You nodded, grateful for the shift in focus. "I’ll take the opening and scope overview. You can cover scalability and resource planning."

"Deal," he said, extending his hand.

You hesitated for a moment before shaking it. His grip was firm, his hand warm.

"Let’s try not to kill each other during the presentation," you said dryly.

"No promises," he replied, a teasing glint in his eyes.

The morning of the presentation, you found yourself nervously adjusting your blazer in the mirror. It wasn’t because of Jungkook—that would be ridiculous. But as the two of you stood side by side in the conference room, presenting to Mr. Kim and the board, you couldn’t help but notice how seamlessly you worked together.

Jungkook’s delivery was polished, his points sharp and persuasive. When it was your turn, he didn’t interrupt or overshadow you.

When the presentation ended, Mr. Kim smiled, nodding with approval. "Excellent work. I’m ready to move forward with the proposal. Thank you all for your hard work. Let's aim to have the implementation ready by next week."

As the board members filed out, you felt a small surge of relief.

"You did good," Jungkook said quietly, his voice low enough for only you to hear.

You glanced at him, surprised. His expression was uncharacteristically genuine.

"You too," you replied softly.

For once, there was no snarky retort, no sharp edge to his words. Just a quiet acknowledgment that maybe—just maybe—you made a good team.

_________________________________________________________________________

It was a quiet morning when Mrs.Kang summoned you and Jungkook to his office. Her expression was unreadable, which immediately put you on edge. Jungkook, as always, looked irritatingly calm, his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his perfectly tailored suit.

“I have good news,” Mrs. Kang began, gesturing for the two of you to take a seat. “A significant proposal has come in from a high-profile client based in Las Vegas.”

You exchanged a glance with Jungkook, your curiosity piqued.

“The client is considering investing in a long-term partnership with our firm, but they’ve requested a dedicated team to oversee the preliminary project.”

Jungkook leaned forward. “What kind of project?”

“A comprehensive legal framework for their expanding business operations,” she explained. “It’s a multi-faceted endeavor, involving contracts, compliance, and regulatory assessments. They need everything done efficiently, and they’re willing to pay generously for it.”

You nodded slowly, already anticipating the workload. “And who’s handling it?”

Mrs. Kang’s gaze flicked between the two of you. “You are.”

Your stomach dropped. “Together?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. “The client specifically requested for our best workers, and after your stellar performance in the last project, it’s clear that’s you two. This is a major opportunity for the firm, and I trust you’ll make it a success.”

Jungkook’s lips quirked into a small, smug smile. “Sounds like a challenge.”

You shot him a glare before turning back to Mrs. Kang. “How long will we be in Las Vegas?”

“Until the project is completed. The initial timeline is four weeks, but it could be extended  depending on the client’s requirements.”

Four weeks. Four weeks of working with Jungkook. You weren’t sure if you should laugh or cry.

“When do we leave?” Jungkook asked, his tone calm and professional.

“Tomorrow morning,” Mrs. Kang said, sliding two plane tickets across the desk. “I expect regular updates. And remember, this project could define the trajectory of your careers.”

As you left her office, you couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in your chest.

“Guess we’re going to Vegas,” Jungkook said as the two of you walked back to your desks.

You didn’t dignify him with a response.

//

The next morning, you found yourself at the airport, juggling your carry-on bag, laptop case, and an iced coffee you barely had time to grab.By the time you reached the airport the next morning, you were already exhausted. It wasn’t even 7 AM, but Jungkook was waiting at the gate, scrolling through his phone like he didn’t have a care in the world. His effortlessly polished outfit—a simple black hoodie and dark jeans—looked like something out of a casual photoshoot.

You, on the other hand, were fighting a losing battle with your overstuffed carry-on bag and a coffee cup that kept threatening to spill.

“Morning,” he greeted, barely looking up.

“Morning,” you mumbled back, though your tone suggested it was anything but good.

As you plopped into the seat next to him, you struggled to balance your coffee on the armrest while rummaging through your bag for your boarding pass. Jungkook glanced over, clearly amused by your chaotic energy.

“Are you planning on staying there or what?” he quipped, nodding at your bag.

“It’s called being prepared,” you shot back. “Not that you’d know anything about that.”

He smirked. “I packed in twenty minutes, and I guarantee I have everything I need.”

“Congratulations,” you said dryly. “Do you want a medal?” 

He smirked, clearly unbothered.

When boarding was announced, you couldn’t hide your irritation when you saw that your seats were together. The last thing you wanted was to sit next to Jungkook for the duration of the flight. But of course, you didn’t have much choice. There was no way you were going to fight him over something so trivial, even if the idea of being stuck next to him for hours made your skin crawl.

As the plane took off, you tried to focus on the city shrinking beneath you, but you couldn’t ignore how Jungkook had leaned over, practically pressing against your side as he peered out the window.

"Can't you stay put?" you muttered, your irritation rising.

He smirked without looking at you. "Not everyone can sit still for hours like you."

You shot him a glare, but he was already lost in the view outside, and there was nothing more to say. Silence settled between you, the quiet only interrupted by the hum of the plane.

“Vegas,” he mused, breaking the silence. “I hope you packed something that isn’t boring lawyer attire.”

You turned to glare at him. “And what exactly do you think I should’ve packed? A sequined dress and feather boa?”

He grinned. “Not a bad idea. It’d definitely make things more interesting.”

You crossed your arms. “For your information, I have plenty of stylish clothes. Not that it’s any of your business.”

“Sure you do,” he said with a teasing lilt. “But Vegas is a little more… exciting.”

“You can’t even see half the things in my suitcase, so stop assuming,” you snapped, your tone sharper than you intended.

“Relax, I’m kidding.” He leaned back in his seat, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “You’re so easy to wind up.”

You rolled your eyes, trying to ignore him, but then Jungkook started fiddling with the instruction sheet that was in front of him, crinkling it loudly. The constant rustling made it hard to concentrate, and you were starting to lose patience.

“Seriously?” you asked, finally glancing over at him.

He didn’t look up from the pamphlet. “What?”

“Can you stop with that?” you said, irritation creeping into your voice. “It’s like you're trying to annoy me on purpose.”

He raised an eyebrow, looking at you briefly. “I’m just reading it.”

“You’re not reading it, you’re crumpling it,” you retorted. “Could you, for once, just sit still?”

He shrugged, still flicking through the paper. "What if something happens? I need to make sure you're okay. You’ve got no one here but me."

You snapped, "That’s why we have flight attendants to help us."

He raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk. "True. But I can’t say I trust them as much as I trust myself to look out for you."

You groaned, leaning back in your seat, hoping he'd get the hint and stop, but the crinkling continued, and you were about to lose it.

“Seriously,” you muttered. “You’re exhausting.”

“Guess you’re stuck with me for the next few weeks,” he said, completely unbothered by your frustration.

The playful banter continued for the rest of the flight, with Jungkook finding every opportunity to tease you about your organizational skills—or lack thereof. By the time the plane landed in Las Vegas, you were equal parts annoyed and amused, though you’d never admit the latter.

As you walked off the plane, Jungkook glanced over at you, a smug look on his face.

"Ready for Vegas?" he asked, his grin wide and teasing.

You shot him a look, trying to suppress the rolling annoyance that surged through you. Of course he’d ask that now. “As ready as I’ll ever be. Just try not to get in my way.”

He raised an eyebrow, the playful smirk still in place. “No promises,” he replied, leaning in a little closer, clearly enjoying your irritation. A small sigh escaped your lips as you looked away. Why does he always have to be so... impossible to ignore?

[lumosinlove]

Vaincre

Finals part i

(It's been a long time coommingg... Thanks for sticking with me everyone <3 Ended up splitting this chapter up because it got so long, so the next update will not be in two months, but around two days...)

~

[NHL on ESPN theme song plays and we zoom into a studio desk with Sam Levi, Kevin Becks, and Hank Mairier]

LEVI: Welcome back to NHL on ESPN, we’re in Game One, New York Rangers take on the Colorado Avalanche in Denver, Colorado. I’m Sam Levi here with two who don’t need introduction, Kevin Becks and Hank Mairier. It’s a Rangers alumni studio! What are we thinking, boys?

BECKS: This is going to be a fantastic series, I’m calling it now.

MAIRIER: Absolutely.

BECKS: I mean, the Rangers have acquired some serious fire power this season. The Avalanche is fresh off a whole slew of wins. It’s going to be a fiery one, that’s for sure.

LEVI: Yes indeed. Some top news, MacKinnon back in the lineup after a brief scare. As is Alex O’Hara who was being watched for an upper body injury. He will play tonight, and Montague will get the start. We’re going to go down to the benches where our very own Cassie Baker has Percy Marshall. How’s it going, Cassie?

[Cut to NHL on ESPN logo]

[Cut to Cassie Baker on the New York Rangers’ bench. Percy Marshall is on the ice side of the boards, leaning in to her shot and microphone—He’s wearing no helmet, grinning, and chewing gum]

BAKER: Thanks, Sam. Percy, your team has gone through some changes this season, which include the acquisition of you, and, not one, but two of your old college friends and teammates, Logan Tremblay and Will Morgan. What’s it been like to all play together again and especially to make a run for the Cup?

MARSHALL: Well, aren’t you going to mention you were there, too?

BAKER: I—ha, yes I was there, too. Not playing hockey, though. Could we have imagined this, back then, do you think?

MARSHALL: I certainly would have had high hopes. Seriously, though, it’s amazing to be back with Morgy, Tremz. I mean, wrong O’Hara, but close enough. Accidentally call him Finn all the time. We’ve really pulled together as a group, um, and we’re hoping to start this round off—

[There’s a shout that goes up from somewhere on the ice, a blur of motion, and MARSHALL catches a stray puck in his glove]

BAKER: Oh—Oh my God.

MARSHALL: Whoa there, Baker. Careful out here.

BAKER: I—Thanks. Wow. I…

MARSHALL: Wouldn’t be the first time I saved you, though, would it?

[Marshall skates away before she can reply]

BAKER: [Flustered and smiling] Um. Well, that was eventful, guys. Percy Marshall’s reflexes are obviously game ready. Back to you, Sam.

[Cut back into the studio]

LEVI: What do you think, guys, are we gonna get the story of the first time he saved her?

MAIRIER: Can we see a replay of that? My God.

[Cut to a slow motion replay—Percy Marshall’s gaze moves towards where the puck’s coming from off screen. Cassie Baker flinches into Marshall’s shoulder just as the puck finds Marshall’s glove. Marshall grins, looking down at Baker as he offers her the puck]

BECKS: Wow. That’s amazing, that was really coming for her head! Percy Marshall, life saver.

LEVI: All right, but you know what the funniest part of that is? If you look in the background, you can see Tremblay and Deveaux—two very stoic guys—look, let’s look again.

[The clip replays. In the background, Tremblay and Luke go from worried, to looking at each other before laughing hard]

LEVI: Look at them cracking up! Have you ever seen Luke Deveaux make that face?

BECKS: What, smile? Ha, maybe not often.

~

Logan covered his eyes as he laughed. “Oh God.”

“That was both sort of smooth,” Luke said, then shook his head. “And so awful.”

“Have you met Percy?” Will asked dryly as he slid onto the bench beside Logan.

Logan caught Cassie’s eye through the glass that separated the rink-side media box from the two benches. He shrugged, not sure what else to do, and she held up the puck and mouthed fuck enthusiastically, miming it hitting her head. Beside him, Will pointed at Percy and Cassie discreetly held up her middle finger.

Logan turned back to the ice, smiling. He tapped his glove on Will’s knee. “Ready?”

“As I’ll ever be. Where are the boys at?”

“They’re here,” Logan said. “Decided since it was the finals it was safe for them to actually be here.”

Will snorted. “Safe?”

“Not “Lions betrayal” as Finn says.” Logan rolled his eyes. “I told them they didn’t have to, they could watch from the hotel, but…”

Logan raised his eyes to the steep wall of seats that surrounded them. He wouldn’t be able to pick them out, but knowing they were in the building sent a warm pressure through him.

“Probably sitting with my family,” Will said. “Yours?”

“They’re coming to New York for next game,” Logan said. “Because Finn’s family is also there, we’re going to have a big family dinner at some point. Minus Leo’s parents, but they’ll be at the wedding.”

“The wedding,” Luke chimed in. “Like royalty or something.”

“I mean, technically, yes,” Will said.

That really made Logan laugh.

“It’s true,” Will said. “If you think about it, in our world, Sirius Black…”

“Well, I’ll text the King and tell him what you guys think of him later.” Logan took a final drink of water before standing and throwing one leg over the boards.

~

MCDONALD: Welcome to our coverage of the Stanley Cup Playoff Finals. I’m Sean McDonald here with former Rangers Captain Ryan Connors. What are you thinking, Ryan?

CONNORS: I’m thinking this is going to be a hell of a show. We’ve got big players on both sides.

MCDONALD: That we do. We’ve also got Shay Fanarro between the benches. How’s it looking down there, Shay?

FANARRO: Thanks, Sean. These are two teams who really, really want it. Percy Marshall and Alex O’Hara especially are getting the Rangers bench going. Those are loud individuals—and also leaders. Especially O’Hara. He’s been on this team before, he got his start here when he was just eighteen years old.

[Cut to image of an eighteen year old Alex O’Hara, looking young with his hair shorter than it is now. He’s mid-stride in his first NHL game, wearing number 28]

FANARRO CONT: It’s got to be an emotional night for him, almost like a time warp.

[Cut to a live feed from the ice. Alex O’Hara and Logan Tremblay are stretching on the ice, talking]

FANARRO CONT: There’s O’Hara and Tremblay—of course, not the O’Hara that Logan’s used to! You know, that was such a sudden trade this season from the Gryffindor Lions. And Sean, Ryan, I’ve never been shy about saying that I was not in agreement with that move.

MCDONALD: No, you certainly have not been shy about that, ha! What do you think about that Connor? Trading such a core player mid-season?

CONNOR: I think…I think there must have been a plan. Whether or not that plan paid off or is still in the works would definitely be up for debate—I mean, if we’re looking at it bluntly…Tremblay knocked the Lions out of the play-offs. I mean, ouch.

MCDONALD: Talk about backfiring!

CONNOR: Exactly. The Lions brought in strong D men when they let Tremblay go and that can only make me think that Gryffindor management was thinking about how deep their defensive holes used to run, back in what I know people like the call, you know, the time before Sirius Black came in to captain this team into what it is today. Tremblay was a big part of that turn-around, especially in more recent years. I mean, speaking of old Harvard buddies, you got to know that Tremblay was brought in to play with O’Hara.

MCDONALD: That is, Finn O’Hara, younger brother to Alex.

CONNOR: Exactly, Sean. I mean, those two are magnetic, it almost seems insane to split them up and I think that’s part of the reason why Lions fans had such a strong reaction to losing Tremblay. Feels a bit like a car with two wheels. And it did cost them, I mean, O’Hara—this was not his best season, he looked like a fish out of water for some of it. Tremblay, on the other hand—I mean, he’s fresh off a Cup with Gryffindor so it’s hard to compare but this season with the Rangers has been explosive for him. I’m not saying he was happy about the trade—he’s been quiet about it—

MCDONALD: He’s quiet in general.

CONNOR: He is, he is. He’s been quiet about any bad feelings he’s had towards this trade, but he has played like he can’t lose, it’s incredible to watch. So, great for Tremblay, not so great for the Lions. If I was their GM, I’d be kicking myself quite a bit.

MCDONALD: Indeed. Indeed. All right, we’ll be right back for puck drop, don’t go anywhere.

~

After the game, Logan hissed as he put tentative weight on his knee in the locker room.

“Fuck,” he whispered, reaching down to unwind the tape around his socks.

“Is it bad?” Alex asked.

“How the fuck do I know?” Logan sighed.

“It looked bad.”

“It felt bad.”

Their 4-3 loss didn’t help matters.

“52 took your fucking feet out, didn’t even get called for it,” Luke said. He was half-dressed, pads unstrapped around his chest and hanging loose. “That sucked.”

Him and Alex both considered Logan’s knee as he shed his pants. It was swollen. Not the worst Logan had ever seen, but enough to make the three of them wince.

“Yikes.” Alex reached behind him for his water. “Hey, at least you’re about to get fucking babied to all hell.”

Logan laughed. “Am I?”

“Please.” Luke threw his sweaty towel in Logan’s face. “You know you are.”

Logan just lowered himself back into his stall, stretching his knee out.

“Want ice?” Luke asked.

“Ouais, think so.” Logan framed the worst of it with his fingers. “Thanks,” he called after he realized Luke had already walked away.

Alex was leaning over to see as well. “What are you looking for?”

“I…” Logan shrugged. “Just looking.”

“Can you bend it?”

Tentatively, Logan tried. It felt tight, but it wasn’t all together as painful as putting weight on it was.

“I think if I ice it…” Logan trailed off. “I don’t want to sit. I don’t want coach to take me out.”

Behind him, his phone began to ring. Finn’s name.

Logan held it up to his ear, prodding his knee with his free hand. “Salut. Be out soon, sorry.”

“Are you talking yourself out of being injured right now?” There was a smile in Finn’s voice.

“You got ice on it, honey?” Leo asked.

Luke reappeared, tossing Logan the bag and looking pointedly at the phone.

“They gonna carry you out of here?” he asked. “Calling to check which pillows you prefer?”

Logan gave him a shove, which Luke only returned with a sharp grin.

“Yes,” Logan said to Finn and Leo. “I mean, yes to I do have ice. It’s fine. It just needs to be left alone for a second.”

“Oh yeah.” Finn let out a ha. “Like you’ve ever needed to be left alone in your Logan Tremblay life.”

“I said my knee,” Logan said. He drew his shoulder pads over his head before replacing the phone. “As in I need to keep my weight off it.”

Luke, catching Logan’s eye, pretending to pick Alex up, who proceeded to pretend to jump into Luke’s arms and nearly sending both of them toppling to the ground.

Logan folded the fingers holding his phone until only his middle one remained. “Where are you?”

“We’re in the lounge,” Leo said. “It’s so nice, I mean, they got an espresso bar in here.”

“D’accord,” Logan said. “Going to shower and then I’ll find you.”

There was a rustle, and then Finn’s voice came much closer, whispering right into the speaker. “Save a shower, ride a—”

“Oh my Lord, Finn, not here. See you soon, Tremz,” Leo said, laughing, and the line cut off.

~

[NHL on ESPN theme song plays and we zoom into a studio desk with Sam Levi, Kevin Becks, and Hank Mairier]

LEVI: Welcome back to NHL on ESPN, we’re in Game Four between the New York Rangers and the Colorado Avalanche and we are back here in the big apple. I’m Sam Levi here with Kevin Becks and Hank Mairier. This has been a wild sort of series. Momentum has been swinging back and forth like a wrecking ball—but the Rangers after losing game one, came back and won game two and three. We’ll see how this plays out. Becks, who has been the most noticeable to you on the Rangers’ side of things?

BECKS: That would be a few. Percy Marshall and Will Morgan have an old chemistry that’s hard to beat. Like Tremblay and Finn O’Hara had on the Lions, really, it’s fantastic to see two guys so familiar with each other. Saint Montague—Sebastian—he’s just a brick wall. I mean, we can go back and watch that power play save from last game a million times but it still boils down to Deveaux making a solid play in front of him, and yes, fine, the puck sneaked through, but Saint was there when the Rangers needed him the most. And, I mean, come on, boys we can’t forget Tremblay. I mean, let’s think about it—this is a guy who was all but raised—career speaking—in the company of guys like Pascal Dumais, Kasey Winter, and, of course, his former captain, Sirius Black.

~

Sirius was slightly concerned that Hope Lupin might begin to think he was just a little bit insane. He knew the way he watched Logan play was not exactly normal—especially with the Rangers not being his team and all. He stood without moving until an icing broke the spell. He crossed his arms, uncrossed them when the Avalanche scored and switched to sitting down with his palms pressed to his knees.

From beside him, knitting needles moving in a steady, easy rhythm that Sirius appreciated, Hope laughed.

“Does Logan know how hard you’re rooting for him?”

A TV break began at that moment—which Sirius was grateful for. He wanted to look at her while he spoke to her. He’d been the victim of sentences half-thrown in his direction too many times for his liking.

She looked so much like Remus right then. Sun-gold hair clipped back loosely. Eyebrow slightly arched as she posed a question to him. Sirius glanced in the direction of the kitchen, where he could hear Remus, James, and Lily laughing as they cleaned up dinner.

“I think so,” Sirius said. “It’s not really…I can’t talk to him yet.” He laughed. “I know that sounds stupid.”

“Oh, honey, you’re talking to the wife and mother of Lyall and Remus Lupin. Stupid isn’t the word. Intense, maybe. Faithful. Sweet.” She reached forward for her glass of wine. “Besides, this is quite the series, I don’t blame you. Who’s the handsome one again?”

Sirius frowned. “Ah. Which one?”

Hope laughed. “Oh, yes, that’s true. Oh, there he is—Morgan.”

Sirius looked to where they were showing Will Morgan. “Oh, Morgan. Will Morgan.”

“You know him? He’s playing very well.”

“Not really,” Sirius said. “I’ve never played with him. But he went to college with Logan and Finn. And Percy Marshall, who’s next to him.”

“Well, isn’t that a little class reunion.”

“What’s a class reunion?” Remus had emerged from the kitchen, floor creaking beneath his bare feet. He smiled at Sirius as he crossed in front of the television to fall into the couch cushions beside him. Sirius hadn’t even realized he’d broke his superstitious hold on his knee until his arm was already lifted and Remus was under it, fitting into place.

“Morgan, Marshall, Tremz and Finn—well, not Finn, but sort of.”

“I think it’s funny that Alex is sort-of-Finn to you and all these announcers,” Lily laughed. “If someone called my sister ‘sort of me’ I would actually just drop down a hole somewhere.”

“I mean he’s around, like off the ice,” Sirius said, smiling. “Not that they’re the same person.”

“They’re not twins, right?” Lyall asked, settling beside his wife with a kiss to her head. “They sure do look it.”

“Alex is older,” Remus said. “By…I don’t know, a couple years.”

“Speaking of brothers,” Sirius said. “Where is mine?”

“Talking to some girl on the porch.” Julian came bounding in from the driveway, sweaty and with his roller-blades still in his hand. He thrust them out to Remus. “I think one of the wheels is sticking, what do I do?”

Remus took the skates, spinning the wheels with his hand before setting them on the ground. “I can fix it in the morning, bud.”

“A girl,” Sirius repeated, staring in the direction of the porch.

“Some of us do like those quite a bit.” James, coming in from the kitchen and wiping his hands on his shorts, walked behind the couch. When his hand appeared out of the corner of Sirius’ eye, Sirius couldn’t help it. He flinched, just a little. The second his shoulder raised up, he tried to push it back down again. Remus looked up at him, feeling the way he went tense.

James’ hand, which had indeed been about to tap his cheek, froze. Slowly, he placed his hand on Sirius’ shoulder and squeezed gently.

Sirius turned to look up at him, apologetic, and found an equal apology in James’ face.

“Regulus has a girlfriend?” James asked. “I mean—not to assume anything. Made that mistake before, huh?”

Sirius snorted. “Ouais, you really did.”

When the game came back on, Sirius’ attention kept sliding away. Towards the porch, towards Regulus. Did he flinch like Sirius flinched?

Reading his mind, Remus’ hand smoothed slowly up his chest, giving him time to settle into the motion before it reached his neck. His fingers scratched gently through the hair at his nape, thumb smoothing under his jaw. Sirius closed his eyes briefly, at least until the shouts from the television made them open again to find the Avalanche celebrating. They were about to win this game in an unsettling almost blow out of 5-2.

“Well, damn,” Hope sighed. “New York really is going to make this hard on themselves, huh?”

~

“Hey, Tremblay,” Finn called from the kitchen. “Captain Sirius Black of the Gryffindor Lions is calling you.”

Logan closed the glass shower door. He’d been standing under the spray for a good ten minutes, trying to will all the aches in his muscles away. At Finn’s voice, he looked up from where he’d been rubbing at his damp hair with a towel.

“What?” he called.

“Sirius is calling you,” Leo answered.

Logan wasn’t sure why he ran, but he did. His bare feet slipped just a little on the floor, still damp and probably leaving footprints. He slipped again when he reached the the kitchen counter and nearly took out one of the stools before catching himself and snatching up the phone that was blinking Sirius’ name up at him.

Finn and Leo were laughing so hard they’d turned silent.

“Why did you—run like that?” Finn put his head down into his folded arms on the counter, shoulders shaking.

“You—” Leo gasped through a laugh. “What?”

“Shh,” Logan said. “Shh.” He pressed answer. “Hi? Salut.”

Leo rested his chin on his hands and grinned in an exaggeratedly dreamy way. “Salut.”

Finn had to crouch down behind the counter.

“Salut,” Sirius said, oblivious. He spoke in French. “How are you?”

“I’m being made fun of,” Logan said. He reached forward and pressed a quick thumb into Leo’s left dimple, then yanked his hand back when Leo made to nip at his fingers. “And bitten.”

He could almost feel Sirius’ eyebrows raise. “Should I call back?”

“Non, non,” Logan said. “I’m—you know. Feels stupid, a game like that.”

“You guys were fine, they just outplayed you at the end. Starting Saint next game, do you know?”

“Think so.” Logan took the phone into the bedroom closet, putting it on speaker as he reached for clothes. Sweatpants. He walked over to where Leo’s suitcase lay open and picked out a t-shirt. “Away crowd—he always gets fired up for those, so.”

Sirius didn’t say anything, but Logan could tell he was nodding. Logan waited, nose tucked against the collar of Leo’s shirt.

“How’s wedding planning going?” he asked finally, when Sirius was quiet. He flicked off the closet light, took the phone off speaker, and went back into the living room. Finn was on the couch already, book in hand, and Leo was sitting with his on the floor, back to the sofa, doing something on his computer. Finn’s free hand was in his hair.

Sirius laughed. “It’s good. I mean, for myself, it just matters that Remus is there, but I’ve been told cake and stuff is important.”

“Cake is very important.”

Leo snorted, looking over at him.

“What?” Finn whispered. “What’d he say?” He tightened his fingers a little in Leo’s hair and Leo grinned when he gently pulled his head back to look at Finn upside down. “What?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Sirius said in Logan’s ear. “Hey did you tell them about the cabin yet?”

“Cake is important,” Leo whispered.

Finn pulled a face. “Okay?”

Leo turned, kneeling, and took Logan’s bent knee, gently flattening it along the edge of the couch, pressed up against Finn. He held up a silent finger—one second—and crossed into the kitchen.

“Not yet,” Logan replied. “But soon.” Logan met Finn’s eyes when he curled a warm hand around Logan’s ankle. “It’s going to be amazing. Really, I can’t believe you pulled this off so fast. Oh, hey, we hung out with Reg a few nights ago, he seems good.”

A tisking sound came from behind Leo, and then he appeared, still translating Logan’s French. “Don’t gossip to his big brother!”

“Oh,” Logan said. “I’m not supposed to gossip about him to you, apparently.”

Sirius laughed. “Tell Leo I understand. But you’re right, he does seem good.”

Logan jumped when something cold pressed to his leg, then looked to see Leo carefully molding an icepack to sit comfortably on his knee.

“So, I’m actually calling…” Sirius began.

“Hm?” Logan said. He was half-preoccupied with reaching up to pull a smiling Leo into a kiss.

“I said I wasn’t going to say anything until something was actually—like, accomplished, but I was watching you play and thinking about what happens if this season turns out the way the Rangers want, and I’m thinking about how I could get you home again this summer.”

Leo and Finn couldn’t hear him, but they both looked up before Logan even said anything. He’d tensed, or maybe his face showed something, something like pain, or maybe longing, or surprise. Leo started fussing with the icepack. Finn sat up a little and pulled Logan’s other ankle towards him, draped over his thigh, and settled a hand behind his unbruised knee.

“What?” Finn whispered. “What’s wrong?”

“You…” Logan swallowed. “You’ve been thinking about that?”

“Ouais, so. So basically.” There was the sound of a door slamming somewhere in Sirius’ background, and then a soft rustle of wind against the speakers. “So, there’s really not much more this game can give me in terms of—”

“You’re retiring?” Logan burst out.

Leo gasped, then slapped a hand over his mouth.

“What?” Finn hissed.

“No, no, no,” Sirius said, laughing a little. “No.”

“Oh. Merde, Sirius.” Logan shook his head at Leo, who dropped his head back in relief, hand on his chest.

Finn sat up a little more. “Oh my fucking God, what is he saying?”

Leo gave a half-hearted shrug, watching Logan intently.

“I was going to say money,” Sirius said. “I want to see what management says if I tell them I want to take a pay cut in order to allow you to come back. Or at least open up the options.”

Logan wasn’t sure if he heard right.

“We’ve got a lot of big names on our team. Worthy names,” Sirius continued. “So, it’s not enough if it’s just me. But I wanted your permission to ask something similar of Finn.”

Slowly, Logan raised his eyes to Finn, who snapped his book closed and mouthed silently, frustratedly, what?

“Not Leo,” Sirius said. “It’s so early in his career, I wouldn’t ask that of him. But Finn. Finn could be very helpful towards something like this. And he loves you—I mean, we both know how much that—what does Natalie say? That freckle loves you.”

Logan felt his brow furrow, though he knew Sirius had meant for him to laugh. He stared at Finn. Those brown eyes. Helpful. Could he ask something like that of Finn? He already knew Finn would say yes in half a heartbeat, but could he ask? It was his career. It was his life, he deserved every single part of it. Logan had once been willing to give Finn up entirely so Finn could get what he had worked so hard for.

“Okay,” Finn whispered harshly. He looked a truly upset now. “I really can’t do the silent looks while on the phone. I really can’t do it. Logan. Speak English right fucking now.” He dropped the whisper. “Talk to us right now, I can’t do this.”

“Is that Finn, too?” Sirius asked.

“Sorry, yes.” Logan reached out and took Finn’s hand, kissing his palm. He switched to English. “Sorry, I should have told you, not on speaker or anything, but Finn can’t understand me, um…Okay, hold on. Can I…”

“Call me back whenever you want,” Sirius said. “I really didn’t mean to—ah, throw it on you, I just…”

Sirius lapsed into one of his long silences again. Finn and Leo were staring at him, Leo a little nervously glancing towards Finn, whose ears and cheeks were pink, his mouth set into an unhappy frown. He didn’t pull away from Logan, though.

“I just…I want you to win.” Sirius’ laugh shuddered a little. “I want the Rangers to win, I really, really fucking do, because I wonder if that make them see it like they got what they wanted from you…and as stupid and senseless as it sounds, maybe they’d give you back.”

Logan wanted to stare at the phone where the words had came from after Sirius hung up, but he tossed it down, letting it get lost in the cushions, and took both of Finn’s hands in his own.

“Rouge. I’m sorry. Come here, everything’s fine.” He brought his knuckles to his mouth, then reached forward a put a hand against one of his cheeks—he was hot to the touch. “Finn. Everything’s fine.”

Logan set the icepack on the table, drawing his legs in to give Leo more room to settle against Finn’s side. Finn let out a long breath and pushed his face against Leo’s neck.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Leo said, rubbing Finn’s back. “Jesus, Lo, you gave him a nervous fever practically.”

“I’m sorry,” Logan said. “I didn’t—Sirius surprised me. Finn, I’m sorry. Finn?”

“I’m not mad,” Finn said. “I just…Fuck. I don’t know, I couldn’t understand what you were saying and last time you were looking at me like that and a phone was involved…”

“Here’s what we said.” Logan scooted forward so Finn and Leo’s outer thighs bracketed him. He settled his hands on theirs. “It’s not—Sirius wants to try to get me back on the Lions.”

Finn lifted his head. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but said nothing.

Leo, though, just let out a long, exhausted breath and closed his eyes. “Thank God.”

Leo looked flushed now, like the mere thought of it had set his heart pounding. He rubbed a hand over his chest and looked at Logan. “Fuck. What else did he say?”

Logan, still staring at the pink of Leo’s cheeks set against his blue eyes, fumbled over a few sentence starts.

“Well. C’est—It’s a lot. He wants to take a salary cut.” Logan looked to Finn. “And he was hoping you’d do the same, Rouge.”

“Yes,” Finn said instantly. “Fucking yes. Yes, they can pay me ten fucking dollars a month, see if I care. In fact, I don’t need money actually.”

“Finn,” Leo laughed.

“That wasn’t me asking,” Logan said. “That was me telling you what Sirius said, I—I can’t ask you to do that.”

“But you know we would,” Leo said.

Logan smiled slightly, shaking his head. “Those are your careers.”

“And you’re our life,” Finn said. “Don’t you go telling me I wouldn’t chose you over hockey, you know I would, Lo. You know I would have when I first met you, and you know I would now.”

“It’s not even him over hockey,” Leo said. “It’s a pay cut.”

“And it’s not about choosing, it was never about choosing,” Logan said—then realized what a lie that was. What an old, habit of a lie. “I mean…”

“Yeah-huh,” Finn said. “For a second there, it was.”

“Ouais. Fuck, okay, but I would never have let you do that,” Logan said.

Finn looked at him for a long moment, then nodded minutely. Logan didn’t like that this was still hard for them to talk about.

“Sirius wouldn’t have you be one of the players to take one,” Logan said to Leo. “He said so. And I wouldn’t either, Le, you’re worth a—a contract that is incredible, you’re worth everything—”

“Maybe I want to,” Leo said, chin up. “If it’ll get you home, maybe I’ll tell them to take it all back and give me an entry level salary. What the hell is all that compared to…” Leo sighed. “Lo, I would do anything if you could come back. I know we’re figuring it out and I know we’re better for it, but—I mean, can we make it work if you’re in New York next year? Well, yeah. But that’s not what I want.”

“Of course it’s not,” Logan said. “I know that.”

Leo let out a huff of a breath. “So—then—I just…” Leo’s lip trembled a bit through a smile and he reached out to brush a hand through Logan’s damp hair. “I want you home so bad. So badly. Distance is… Look at your beautiful face, you’re not made for distance. I’m not. We’re not. You’re Logan Tremblay, and I need you close to me.”

Logan caught his hand before it got too far away.

“I know we haven’t done the distance for a whole season yet,” Leo continued. He turned to Finn and passed a hand through his read hair. “And—I know it’s going to get really hard. I mean, it’s a really long time.”

“Don’t say that,” Finn said softly.

“It’s true, honey,” Leo said. He brushed a thumb under Finn’s eye at the high of his freckled cheek. “It’s okay, it’s just true.”

“Compromise,” Logan said. “Okay? Ready?”

“Comprom-ise,” Leo corrected gently. “But you’re right, we should say it like ‘promise’ and, yes, I’m ready.”

“Compromise.” Logan liked the way Leos’s eyes narrowed at the imitation of his accent. That nice, slow ‘I’ sound.“If Sirius even begins to pull this off, and if he needs you, then okay.”

“Deal,” Leo said. He leaned forward and kissed Logan, once and sealing. “Now, cheer Harzy up.”

Finn was indeed sitting very still. He was laid back, messing with the corner of his book, gently ruffling the pages with his thumb.

Logan gave Leo his spot on the sofa and knelt on the rug beside the couch. He did as Leo had, taking Finn’s face gently in his hands and turning Finn’s eyes to his.

“Look at me.” He swiped his thumbs over the warm, flushed parts of his cheeks. “Regarde moi, look at me.”

Brown. The richest brown.

“It’s you,” Logan said. He carded his fingers through Finn’s hair, dropped his palm to rub gently against his back. “It was you in the ocean, when I couldn’t say it, and it’s you now, when I will say it to everyone who will listen to me.”

Finn let that sit for a moment. He closed his eyes like it was sun to bask in. He let the pressure of Logan’s touch tilt his head back slightly.

“I know that,” he whispered. “I just thought something was wrong. I thought you weren’t telling me.”

Logan let Finn’s forehead rest against his shoulder and looked at Leo. He was watching them with a soft expression, his elbow slung on the couch’s arm, temple against his fist. Logan kept his eyes on him, even as he felt Finn’s hand flatted over his chest, like he wanted to touch where Logan felt most. He kept his eyes on Leo as he covered Finn’s hand with his own.

“You know that, whatever happens next season, I’m going to be here for you this time.”

The tips of Finn’s fingers dug into Logan’s chest. he saw Leo’s chest rise sharply with a surprised inhale.

“I don’t care how far away I am,” Logan said. “I would drive through ever single night. I’m going to be here for you whenever you need me.”

Logan knew they needed to hear them. And he’d said it to them before, in different ways. But this, hearing them when he was right here, just the three of them, pressed so close together, felt different. Heavier. True.

“Even if you don’t need me,” Logan said. “I’m there.”

“Don’t need you,” Finn repeated, the words heavy with utter disbelief and so soft that Logan wasn’t even sure Leo heard him. He pushed his forehead harder into Logan’s shoulder, huffing out a breath like something hurt.

“You’re not gonna shut us out again,” Leo said.

Logan shook his head. “Non.”

“When it gets hard,” Leo said. “When we can’t see each other for weeks at a time—”

“You’ll get so sick of your phone ringing, you’ll want to throw it away,” Logan said.

“There…” Leo pressed his lips together and sat up. He put his hands on Finn’s bent knees and Finn straightened them, nearly cradling Leo between his thighs. Logan felt Finn turn his head to look at him. “I was comparing this year’s schedule. Earlier on, there are weeks when both teams are on the road one after another, us, then you—”

“Every morning,” Logan said. “I call you every morning.”

Leo shook his head. “The time zones don’t always—”

“Leo,” Logan cut him off softly. “I promise you.”

Leo’s mouth pulled to the side.

“I won’t shut you out,” Logan said softly. “Ever again.”

“Or Harz,” Leo said. “No matter what happens?”

“Or Harz,” Logan said. He turned down to look at Finn. “No matter what.”

Logan wasn’t sure he could have explained it if someone asked him to. All the ways he’d found a new home, and all the ways he felt like he’d never quite be home again, not until they were in the same city. How he didn’t completely know if he would survive next season without them.

“I’ve been so focused on making it around this year,” Logan said softly. “I mean—non, what is it?”

“Through,” they answered in unison.

“Through this year. And then Sirius just went and talked about how maybe I could…come home. And I realize—I realize that there’s a real chance that I can’t.”

He looked at Finn and he was watching him drive away again from the OKN house. He looked at Leo and he was being yanked back from the elevator and into his arms.

“I could be in New York for the rest of my career, or somewhere even farther, any of us could—” Logan said in French to Leo, then closed his eyes and, in English, “I could be in New York for the rest of my career—”

Finn leaned forward and pulled Logan up the way he knelt in front of them. He pressed his palms to the back of Logan’s thighs, pushing him down onto the couch, his back against Leo’s chest, before leaning forward to hover over him. Logan’s breathing hitched at the easy way Finn moved him, handled his body.

“And you’ll be ours…” Finn settled into the V of Logan’s thighs. Leaning on one forearm, sunk into the cushions, he took Logan’s chin between his fingers and pulled him into a hard kiss, running his tongue along Logan’s lower lip until they could meet. Logan’s world began to tilt in that slow way, especially when he felt Leo’s mouth press to his neck. “For the rest of our lives.”

Leo’s arms went tight around his waist, low on his stomach. Large, warm palms holding Logan’s hips as surely as Finn’s body pressed down on his.

“I’m trying to comfort you,” Logan groaned.

“The rest of our lives,” Finn said again against his mouth. He pulled back with a last kiss, and then Logan was blinking up and watching Finn’s pale throat and jaw move as he kissed Leo. Flashes of tongue, teeth when Leo smiled, and the feeling of Leo going slack and sinking into the cushions beneath him. Logan put a hand on Finn’s jaw, feeling the way he kissed, and then behind Leo’s neck, arching his back upwards until his mouth could reach the underside of Leo’s jaw. The position, though slightly awkward, pressed his chest against Finn’s and caused Leo to break his kiss to catch Logan’s mouth—a lopsided kiss that Logan chased.

“Mm…” Leo mumbled. Because Finn was there, too, bringing his mouth to both of theirs. It startled Logan for a moment—only a moment. And then he was lost in it. He was turned in a way that, had they not both been grasping hands around his back, he would have fallen, and he knew he was doing very little to support himself anyhow. He traded one of their mouths, their tastes, for another without even having to turn his head. It wasn’t even a trade. Both of them, at once. Their warm skin, breath, and teeth, at once. He lost his breath enough that he had to look, had to see. Leo’s fair eyelashes fluttered, brows drawn together at Finn’s kiss—and then he was turned slightly, hardly at all, and Logan found himself lost all over again.

“Fuck,” Finn breathed, and Logan realized his grip on him had been reduced to only his sweatshirt. “Wait, wait, Lo, c’mere—”

Logan was kept from falling from the couch only by Leo’s quick hands. His arms scooped around Logan’s waist again and held fast.

“Ah,” Finn whispered, pressing himself forward to get at Leo’s neck. His arm secured itself around Logan’s waist, too. “Nice save, One.”

Leo’s blue eyes opened from where they’d closed in pleasure, delighted. “You’ve never called me that before.”

“One and ten makes eleven,” Finn said, pulling back to look at them. “Which…I can’t think of a reason for right now because that was…” Finn’s smile was one of Logan’s favorites—sharp, though his eyes held the glass of arousal. “Really, really hot.”

“Why did we stop?” Logan asked.

“You were falling off the couch,” Leo replied, laughing.

“We could have all fallen to the floor and continued.”

Leo clicked his tongue twice, smiling and taking Logan’s chin in his hand. He saw Finn’s smile out of the corner of his eye and let him hook Logan’s leg up around his waist.

“That’s why you are rarely in charge,” Leo whispered. He brushed their lips together, tongue darting out to trace Logan’s lower lip. “And why you have the two of us to catch you,” His eyes went soft, no longer talking about the sofa or the floor or the kiss, “when you feel like you’re going to fall.”

Finn exhaled slowly from beside them. He tilted his chin forward and Leo kissed him gently before turning back to Logan.

“And you for us,” Leo whispered. “No matter what happens.”

“You’re there,” Finn said. “You’re there for us, Lo. You’re so there for us, you sit there and torture yourself when you haven’t been.”

Logan couldn’t help the laugh that spilled out of him. He let his head fall back against Leo’s shoulder. He reached up and back, tangling his fingers in Leo’s hair.

“I love you,” Logan said in French, then realized, but Finn merely smiled.

“That one I got,” Finn said.

“Okay, come here,” Leo said, and heaved Logan so that he was on his other side in the stability of the couch and their bodies again. “There.”

“Wanna hear something funny?” Finn asked.

Leo and Logan looked at each other, then laughed.

“Sure, Harz,” Logan said. He sat up a little until he could wrap an arm around Leo’s shoulders and turn his face into his hair.

“Any time a book in school had a character, figure, whatever, that started with L, my essays that I’d turn in would always accidentally have Logan in there instead at least twice.” Finn curled a palm around the back of Logan’s neck. “One class, I did it so much, the professor wrote, okay, who is this? in the margins.”

Leo’s laugh tilted his head back. “Oh Lord, I can see that clear as day.”

Logan on the other hand felt stunned. “I didn’t know that.”

Finn just grinned. He turned his gaze towards Leo “Little did they know, I’d have two Ls. Jokes on them, I’ll never see that letter the same again.” Finn was still smiling as his eyes closed and let his weight go against Logan’s chest. Leo, beneath them both, made a content sound. “That letter…That letter is my heart, that’s what it is.”

~

We’re back in Colorado boys, and the Rangers look like they’re staging a third period come-back to finish off Game Five of the Stanley Cup playoffs—either that, or we’re in for a very tense over time.

Tremblay—God he’s playing like a man on a mission. Did this somehow turn into a Game Seven when I wasn’t looking? He’s on the puck like he’s going to win it all tonight!

And with a nose he keeps having to get stopped up at the bench. That was quite a fight with Henderson, but that’s what happens when you get into the blue paint. Tremblay’s always been a goalie defender, if I ever saw one. All right, Rangers face-off win and it’s brought around by O’Hara, now to Marshall. Picked off by the Avalanche captain—oh! Back on Tremblay’s tape. Oh, this stadium doesn’t like his skills one bit. Pass up the ice, O’Hara, that was close! Hit the post. Tremblay, racing, step behind, finds the scramble for the re-bound, and he scores!

What do you say? I say come-back complete and I’m ready for a Game Six in New York to close this for good. The New York Rangers are one game away from becoming Stanley Cup champions.

~

“I thought you said you weren’t going to tell him yet,” Remus said. His voice was a little strained, his hands high above his head as he fastened a delicate row of lights, small bobble ones all spaced out along their dark chord, to one of the posts they’d erected by the dock.

“I don’t know what happened, I was just suddenly telling him.” Sirius rested with one elbow on his knee, looking down at the boards he was laying for a makeshift dance space along one square of the beach. It wasn’t big, but Sirius only had one dance planned. He was half-wondering how much dancing would distract everyone else while he stole Remus away. “I called him to talk about playoffs, if he was as hurt as I thought he was, that hit to his knee…and then I was suddenly saying how I could maybe get him home.”

Remus eased himself down the ladder, jumping the last two rungs. “And he said?”

“He wanted to talk to Finn and Leo.”

Remus nodded. “Well, that makes sense.” He knelt down near Sirius, knocking his knuckles on the wood—or, plastic, maybe. It was a hard, durable material at least. “Lily keeps asking me what I’ll do if it rains.”

Sirius raised an eyebrow. “What you’ll do?”

Remus laughed. “We. But don’t lie, if we could say our vows only to each other and then just throw a big dinner party, you wouldn’t say yes, but you wouldn’t say no, either.”

Sirius straightened a little, elbow resting over his thigh. “You think I don’t want to dance all night with you right here?”

Remus pressed his palms to the makeshift floor, examining it. “I think you want to be with me all night, but I know you don’t want to dance.”

Sirius watched as Remus got up again, going back to his ladder, this time to hang the banner he and Lily had been working on. A painted S & R. Sirius watched him manage the fabric carefully, admiring their initials beside each other. Remus tilted his head back to consider the side of the house. It drew his shoulders back and bunched his t-shirt where they met strongly at the top of his spine.

Sirius could have lived in a loop of this. Wake up. Run. Breakfast with everyone. Swim. Lunch. Swim. Dinner that they all cooked together, too many people in the kitchen, Lily getting lime juice in her eye and James kissing her red cheeks. Harry on Sirius’ hip, babbling into his shoulder and looking at Remus as he talked gibberish to them. Regulus and Julian coming in sweaty from playing street hockey in the driveway, Sirius not quite getting up the courage to ask about any late night phone calls taken on the porch.

Yes. There had been a time when Sirius would have taken something quiet over a party with speeches and audiences watching rings being exchanged. Back when parties meant smiling and agreeing, and speeches meant performing so his parents could boast, and audiences only asked him questions rather than let him talk, and and rings caused cuts that stung for days.

And kitchens were places kept out of sight, and kisses were lipstick to be wiped away, and holding a baby against him meant someone else had to endure his terrible, terrible world, and you didn’t play hockey in the driveway, you went to the rink at five and ran drills until seven.

Sirius rose from the new ground he had lay, and walked across it to where Remus was draping the banner over the top of the ladder, ready to climb. Before he could, Sirius caught him by his hips and stepped closed to him from behind. He set his mouth on the tanned and freckled skin of his neck.

“Yes, I do,” Sirius said against him. “I do want to dance with you.”

Remus leaned back against him. His hand covered Sirius’. “Oh, baby, I didn’t mean—I didn’t mean that in a bad way at all.”

“It doesn’t matter how you meant it, I’m just telling you.”

“I mean, I’d marry you in a deserted—uh, desert. I’d marry you in a courthouse or in the locker room, like between play-off games, if that was how this all worked out, I’d—”

“You know, when you’re around your mom, your sentences become twice as long.”

Remus laughed and turned in Sirius’ arms to lay his hands on his chest. “You don’t want to dance in front of everyone. I know you.”

“D’accord.” Sirius put his hands on either side of Remus’ face. “So, yes, it’s not my first choice of things to do in my free time.”

“I just meant that I…I know you,” Remus said. “That’s all.”

“But you want to dance,” Sirius leaned down to brush a kiss to his mouth. “You want banners and lights and a dance floor. Cake, flowers…”

“I want you.”

Sirius smiled, shaking his head. “Yes. But you want banners, lights, dancing, cake, flowers, and all the rest, and so that’s what you’ll have.” Sirius took step back, drawing Remus with him. “You’re never going to miss anything ever again.”

Remus’ eyes fell down to their feet, which Sirius had begun moving in a slow, synchronized circle. “Tall order.”

“Just watch me make it happen.”

Remus put his arms around Sirius’ neck, letting himself fall into Sirius’ slow dance. “Competitive.”

“But you already knew that.” Sirius drew one of Remus’ hands into his own and guided him into a spin, before pulling back against his chest. “Did you know I was forced through dance lessons?” Before Remus’ face could fall even a little, Sirius guided them into a turn, their arms crossed lightly one way, then the other. “I don’t think it ever occurred to them that I’d use it to dance at my wedding to my husband.”

Slowly, feeling his way back to ease through Sirius’ true smile, Remus let himself be spun again, and when his face came back into Sirius’ view, his smile was true, too.

“Best use in the world, I think—oh my God, you can dance? I’m gonna make a fool out of myself, Jesus. But, I don’t—” Remus broke out in a laugh as Sirius spun him again. “Are you trying to disorient me?”

“I’m trying to show you how good I am at everything. Including giving you everything you’ve ever wanted.”

When Remus laughed, Sirius added it to the loop where he wanted to live. This summer, and that sound.

“Shut up,” Remus sighed, putting his arms around Sirius’ neck again. He let them sway. “All I am saying is that I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do. I don’t care how much I want it.”

“And all I’m saying is that I used to wonder how long I had before it looked weird that I didn’t have a girlfriend. Wasn’t getting married. And now I have my boy who wants to dance at our wedding…”

Sirius thought about dipping him, he could, but he wanted to keep him close. The setting sun cast Remus’ skin in pinks and oranges, and it occurred to Sirius, so suddenly and all-at-once that it nearly made him lose the rest of his sentence, that this was what Remus would look like when he said yes to the rest of their lives.

“You…” Sirius found his voice tight. “You think that I am going to do that?”

“Oh—” Remus pressed forward. “God, come here.”

No sooner had Remus’ mouth found his, than music was blasting through the new speakers—the beginning chords of Back In Black. Remus jumped, nearly biting Sirius’ lip.

“Jesus fuck,” Remus cursed.

“James,” Sirius shouted, looking towards the house.

All he was met with was a cackle.

“Try again!” Regulus’ voice answered them.

[supernovafics]

series masterlist | last part — next part

pairing: modern!college!steve harrington x fem!reader, bestfriend!eddie munson x fem!reader

word count: 5.3k words

warnings: explicit language, a bunch of other good things that i don’t wanna say because i don’t want to completely spoil everything<333

summary: an unexpected conversation between you and steve leads to a long overdue realization 

quick a/n: a bit nervous to post this one lol but i hope yall enjoy🫶🏾

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN | ❝𝒎𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕❞

Summer 2017

“I’m a little upset that I didn’t get the grand hometown tour.”

“You mean the tour of the old library that I spent probably too much time at back in high school, and the park that I also really liked back in high school, but it’s currently under construction?”

Eddie gave you an amused smile. “Yes, exactly that.”

“Next time,” You told him, completely joking with your words, but you wouldn’t have been surprised if he actually held you to them the next time he was here. But, you honestly didn’t think that there’d be another moment when he was in your hometown; this moment in itself felt almost like a fluke.  

After a five week long road trip with Eddie, you still weren’t ready to be home— you dreaded it, actually— but things had started getting too expensive and Eddie’s van was in dire need of a break. 

You did most of the driving to your hometown because you knew that Eddie would have to do all of the driving alone back to his own home. And then he stayed with you for the night at your dad’s house. You didn’t even have to do any sort of introduction between the two because your dad was off on a vacation with his new girlfriend.

Now it was the morning and you two lingered by Eddie’s van, prolonging the conversation because the next time you’d see each other would be a little over four weeks— when you moved into your apartment with Robin, Vickie, and Talia, and he moved in with two people that he found at the last second; luckily, your respective buildings weren’t far from each other, so it wouldn’t feel impossible to see each other. 

You pulled Eddie in for a hug, a long one that felt so equivalent to a goodbye and it actually managed to sadden you a bit because of how good the last five weeks had been and it sucked that it was all over now. 

When you pulled back, you gave him a smile. “See you in four weeks, Edward.”

He laughed a little. “See ya.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

Spring Semester 2018

Maybe things should’ve felt at least a little weird or awkward between you and Steve in this moment in the library— it had been a month since the last time you two talked— but it didn’t. At all. 

It was all so surprisingly easy. The small talk wasn’t even unbearable; you liked hearing about the mundane things he’d been up to for the past month and you didn’t mind sharing your own stories about classes you’d come to hate and how you didn’t feel all too prepared for finals because you had more essays to do than actual tests. And then you two moved into random bits of nothing, asking the first thing you could think of or filling the silence with storytimes or quick anecdotes, and whispering the entire time so that you didn’t disturb everyone else in the library right then. 

You two probably should’ve moved somewhere else, but it felt as if the entire moment would’ve been broken if you did so. Logical thinking would’ve sunk in on your side of things and you would’ve realized that all of this was a bad idea and you should’ve left, or perhaps never sat down across from him on this carpeted floor in the first place.

“Did you decide what you’re going to do with your summer of freedom?” You asked him instead of leaving or even thinking about doing so. You were mainly joking with your question and just trying to think of something to say, but still, you were a little curious. 

“I think I’m gonna do the Europe thing. Go alone,” He told you. “It’s loosely planned right now, but I’ll fully figure it out after finals.”

“Ooh, that’s very Eat, Pray, Love of you,” You joked. 

He laughed a bit. “Thanks, I think?”

“I’ve actually never seen that movie before, but from what I think I know of it, it felt fitting to mention it.”

“Do you know what you’re gonna do for the summer?”

“Nothing exciting, really,” You answered with a quick shrug. “I think I’m just gonna stay around here. Robin and Vickie are doing some summer classes, and even though I’m not taking any, staying in the apartment for the summer sounds much better than going home the entire time.”

Steve nodded. “With what you’ve said about your parents, that makes sense.”

“Exactly,” You nodded back. “So, if you get bored of Europe— which I highly doubt, but still— please feel free to come to any of our apartment movie nights and sleep on our couch at any point during the summer.”

You realized way too late what exactly your words implied— that you two were friends, that this moment in the library wasn’t and shouldn’t be a one-off thing. And your brain was quickly rushing you to fix what you said. “Or, I guess, that wouldn’t really make sense since we’re not friends or whatever…”

You could recognize that it was a pretty shitty attempt at backtracking, but all Steve needed to do was simply agree and everything would be fine; or, at least, what you’d convinced yourself was considered as “fine.”

“That ‘going our separate ways’ rule was so dumb,” Steve said instead of agreeing with your previous statement. “We should be friends.”

He was completely right, the rule was dumb. But still, even in this entirely comfortable moment, you knew that you couldn’t say what he wanted to hear. 

“I’ve missed this,” He continued on before you could say anything in response. He lightly bumped his knee with yours. “I’ve missed you.” 

“I’ve missed you too,” You blurted it out before you realized what you were even saying, and you didn’t know how true it was until those four simple words were out in the open and sitting in the quiet air between you and Steve. 

They abruptly made you inwardly admit everything else that you’d been avoiding and refusing to accept— the almost too obvious reason why you couldn’t be friends with him and why you had refused to break the rule this entire past month.  

You’d never be able to be just friends with him. You’d start feeling something more and head down an all too familiar path, another Eddie situation that you weren’t sure if you’d be able to take and not have it break you this time around. Falling for a friend who saw you as nothing more than solely as a friend already sucked once, and you couldn’t imagine letting history repeat itself. 

That was why you couldn’t try to do it; you couldn’t try to be normal and keep things as they were between you and Steve. If you two hadn’t gone your “separate ways,” you were certain that you would’ve ended up liking him, inadvertently feeling more for him than what you wanted to.

However, you were realizing now that the joke was actually on you because it still happened anyway. 

You liked him a lot. And maybe some part of you always did. But, you knew that you’d never be able to do anything about it. 

You were right on one thing, though— this entire moment was a bad idea. 

Before you could come up with some random excuse to leave, the sound of Steve’s phone vibrating next to him saved you instead. He grabbed it, looking down at whatever message he just got and then back at you. 

“I gotta go. I’m late for this study group thing,” He said. “But, I'm not gonna be an idiot right now and once again say that we should go our separate ways. It’s set in stone now— we’re friends.”

“Okay,” You nodded, not meaning in the slightest.

“You should come over tomorrow. We can watch that one Lindsay Lohan movie that you like and I promise I won’t complain about it.”

“It’s called Freaky Friday. And yeah, okay, that sounds good.”

Right then it was easier to lie than to refuse his statement and make up a different lie about why you couldn’t hang out with him, why you couldn’t ever hang out with him. 

Steve gave you one final smile before he stood up. You watched him head down the aisle and then turn the corner before you let yourself lean back against the bookshelf and shut your eyes with a sigh. 

Now that you finally admitted to yourself how you felt for him, it was as if the dam broke and all you could think about was how real the entirety of the fake dating thing had been for you— during the power outage where you actually got to know him, during that night where you two spent Valentine’s together at that arcade and pizza place, during everything that happened in Mexico. It was suddenly so obvious, and you were also reminded of that moment during the delayed flight when the realization first hit you. 

How different would things be if you had actually accepted it back then? You honestly couldn’t imagine. 

Another long sigh fell from your lips as you pulled your legs out of the aisle and crossed them under you.

You really didn’t want to like Steve, and a part of you wanted to try and convince yourself that it wasn’t true; just like you’d done before. But, this time around was so much different. The feelings already felt so settled and certain; you couldn’t even push them away. 

And that only made things feel worse because avoidance was your main coping mechanism. So if you couldn’t push away and forget your feelings for Steve, what the hell were you going to do instead? 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

It was hours upon hours full of contradictory thoughts. One part of you was telling you to be honest and the other was saying the exact opposite, and at first, you had no idea which side to listen to. You wanted to take the easy way out, but there was something about that that didn't sit right with you. Still, though, you considered it.

More time slowly passed, your head in a constant push and pull, and then it was nearing midnight when you decided to call Steve. It was an impulsive decision that, once you were settled on it, surprisingly felt like the right one. 

You sat up in your bed and grabbed your phone off of your nightstand. You could hear the faint sounds of Talia doing something in the kitchen through your shut door, but you knew that it wasn’t her that was keeping you awake since you got in bed twenty minutes ago. Instead, it was your scattered thoughts and confused mind, both of which somehow suddenly felt a thousand percent certain about one thing, which should’ve felt comforting but it actually felt like the opposite. 

You pressed call on Steve’s contact name before you could talk yourself out of it. 

“Hey,” His voice sounded sleepy when he answered after the third ring, which let you know that you’d woken him up. A part of you felt bad, and you wanted to hang up after saying the quickest “Sorry” to him, but then you remembered why you were calling. 

“I can’t be friends with you,” You blurted it out, getting straight to the point because you couldn’t think of a different way to say it.  

“Oh…” He sounded confused, and rightfully so, you could recognize that this was probably the weirdest wake-up call ever. “Oh, okay.”

You could’ve simply ended it there and let the phone call be done with, no further explanation or anything so that you could save yourself from potential embarrassment. However, the whole Eddie situation taught you to be honest about how you’re feeling, and in this moment you suddenly felt so settled on doing so. 

“At least, I can't try to be your friend without telling you something first, I think,” You told him. “And I’m sorry, I know this probably sounds so random, but I can’t sleep because all I’ve been doing for the past few hours is thinking about this, so I think I just need to be honest right now.” 

You paused for a second, taking the quickest breath before speaking. “When we started the fake dating thing, we were pretty much strangers, and as it continued I thought that what we ended up forming was solely just some sort of unexpected friendship. And then when we were ending things, I convinced myself that what we had was actually absolutely nothing and we were just two people helping each other out. But then today at the library I realized that it really wasn’t fake for me, and it wasn’t just a friendship either. It’s so much more than that for me. I like you, Steve.” 

Out of everything you had just said, those last four words were definitely the hardest. It felt simultaneously good and bad. So honest that your initial instinct was telling you to take it back, but as the statement settled in the air, you felt entirely okay about it and it made it feel easier to continue talking. 

“And I know that it's probably not the same for you because you don’t do relationships and that was the whole point of the fake dating thing for you. I know that. And that's why I refused to accept these feelings or even admit them to myself in the first place.” You let your head fall back against your pillow and you squeezed your eyes shut as you forced yourself to keep going. “So I know that you’re probably gonna say that you don’t feel the same way and that’s okay; or it’ll eventually be okay, I guess, because rejection does suck. But this whole Eddie thing made me realize that maybe I should just be honest about my feelings, so this is me doing that…” You trailed off and then softly said, “Okay, sorry, I’m done talking now.”

Steve was quiet for a bit— it was actually a lot more than just a bit. It was so long that it made you think that he hung up or the call somehow ended, but then he was saying something.

“You should come to Europe with me this summer.”

That was not at all the response you were expecting to hear at that moment, and you had no idea what that response meant. Was it just a nice way of rejecting you or did he maybe feel the same way? 

“What?”

“I’m sorry,” He said and somehow you could almost hear him shaking his head at himself. “I’m not used to doing this anymore.”

There was something about the way he said his statement that made you think that he was rejecting you, or at least trying to. And because of that, you quickly tried to make everything fine and okay and normal. “It’s, um... It’s okay if you don’t feel the same. Things will be okay with us. We can still be, uh, friends or whatever.”

“No, no that’s not what I meant,” He told you, and you could feel your heart fill with something that resembled hope. “I do. I do feel the same way. None of it was fake for me either, and it didn’t take me that long after Mexico and the rest of spring break to finally realize that. The night we “broke up” was actually pretty hard, and it also felt kind of wrong, if that makes sense. I tried to forget about it, though, because of the Eddie part of all of this and what we both agreed on at the beginning of everything.”

“When I finally accepted it today, I tried to push it all away too,” You said. “It was really hard to do, though— literally impossible, actually. Hence why I woke you up and had to tell you all of this in the middle of the night.”

“I get it. I’m just way too likable.”

“Shut up,” You said, but you were smiling.  

“It’s the same for you too, though. You’re also really likable. I like you a lot,” Steve told you, and his words sounded so certain and honest that it made your heart do a weird fluttery thing that also wiped your brain of the ability to form any sort of coherent sentence. He then let out the quickest breath of a laugh. “It feels so weird doing this over the phone.”

You nodded even though he couldn’t see you and your next words came out with no hesitation. “You should come over.”

He was quiet just for a second before he said, “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” You answered, voice just as soft and quiet as his. 

“Okay,” He said, and you could practically hear him nodding. 

“Okay, cool,” You responded, trying to be normal and chill about everything, even though your heart felt as if it was about to burst out of your chest in nervous but excited anticipation of seeing him again and talking about everything in person. “See you soon then.”

When the call ended, you simply didn’t do anything for a moment. The same happy smile was on your face and you couldn’t seem to wipe it away, and you honestly didn’t even want to. 

And then you were abruptly thinking about what you were wearing and wondering if it was okay. But, was there even any point in changing out of your slightly wrinkled t-shirt and pajama shorts?

You weren’t entirely sure, but you still got up from your bed and turned on your light, and then headed toward your closet. 

You were halfheartedly picking through your clothes and making mental comments about everything— a dress felt like overkill and putting on jeans would be too annoying— when something hit you on the head and made you yelp. You looked down and saw that it was Hartford; he had previously been sitting on the shelf above your clothes. You picked him up and placed him back on your desk— his rightful place, you decided. 

You also decided that what you were wearing was fine. It obviously made sense for the middle of the night and you’d only feel severely underdressed if Steve showed up wearing a suit, which sounded completely ridiculous. 

The abrupt sound of something crashing in the kitchen pulled you out of your head and you left your room to make sure Talia was fine. You didn’t immediately see her when you looked over at the kitchen, but when you said, “Everything okay?” her head popped up from behind the counter. 

“Yeah, I’m good. Shit, sorry, did I wake you up?” She asked and then sighed. “The mixer was hidden behind a thousand other things, so when I pulled it out, some pans fell.”

You could hear her fixing the pans and then she stood up.

“No, I was already awake,” You answered as you walked toward her. It was way too hard to not let yourself smile as you said your next words. “Steve’s, um, Steve’s coming over.”

She stopped in the middle of looking for something in the fridge and instead turned to you, the happiest smile on her face. “Oh my god, finally! I’ve been waiting for this moment ever since you got back from that date with Adam. I could just tell there was something so different about you and Steve.”

You shook your head as you laughed a bit. “You couldn’t have known about how I felt about Steve then. I barely knew.”

“Of course, I knew. I’m a Psych major for a reason,” She told you, which only made you laugh again. “But, I obviously wasn’t gonna tell you. You had to get there on your own. I’m so glad it didn’t take months, though, and I actually get to see this happen before I graduate and leave.”

You playfully rolled your eyes at her and then shifted the subject. “What are you making?”

“I’m kinda still deciding. It’ll either be a two-layered cake, cupcakes, or this tart recipe that I just saw,” She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m just trying to do anything to take my mind off this one final that I’ve been studying for all day.”

That made sense to you. Last semester during the week leading up to finals, she made a fresh batch of cookies every night.

“Maybe I’ll do a cake,” She said, a small teasing smile on her face. “A celebratory one for you and Steve. I’ll frost it white and write ‘Congrats, Lovebirds’ on it in red. Shit, I hope there’s still food coloring left.”

You immediately shook your head. “Please don’t do that. Before when things were fake, you guys couldn’t scare him off, now it definitely could happen.”

“Fine, I’ll just make a completely normal white cake that has absolutely nothing to do with you and Steve. But, deep down, both you and I know the truth.”

You couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Thank you.”

She finished grabbing the eggs from the fridge and you headed to the couch, knowing that she liked working alone in the kitchen. A part of you wanted to turn on the TV, but you weren’t in the mood to put on a movie or anything.

You heard Talia hum to herself as she started measuring flour and sugar and then cracking eggs. 

It was calming to see her completely in her element with her thoughts focused solely on one thing. Your thoughts didn’t have something specific to focus on, so they instead focused on Steve. Him and you and you two together. Well, together, but not really because nothing was settled yet. So, right now, in this moment, you two were just friends. Or was that not even an accurate description either? 

“Get out of your head.”

You looked over at Talia, wondering how long she’d been watching you and seeing you starting to inwardly spiral. “How could you tell?”

“Once again, Psych major for a reason,” She said, giving you a small smile. “Stop thinking so hard about everything right now. It’s all gonna be great when he gets here. Hey, just tell me a story. A random one. First thing that comes to you.” 

You thought for a second and then went with the first thing that came to your mind just like Talia said; a quick story about a summer camp that you went to when you were ten. It was almost too easy to think of things to talk about involving the month-long sleep away camps or short stints at super niche-specific camps that your parents found for you. 

The knock on the door came when you were in the middle of telling Talia about a different summer, a theater camp you were forced to go to for two weeks when you were twelve. 

You quickly got to the end of the story as you walked over to the door. “Long story short, the whole show was canceled due to the pregnancy rumor.” 

Talia shook her head in disbelief. “No way.”

“Yeah, it was insane. Spoiler alert, though, she wasn’t pregnant. Thank god. But, that was when I learned how ruthless theater kids are.” 

You pulled the door open after letting out a soft laugh at Talia sighing and saying, “Children are evil.” 

You wanted to be normal about seeing Steve standing in front of you right then— really, you did— but it was too hard to. He was sporting messy bedhead, sweatpants, and a t-shirt that matched yours with how wrinkled it was. It looked as if he had rushed to get here, which was actually true given the fact that he managed to turn a typical thirty-minute drive into twenty minutes.

“Hi,” You said, a fresh wave of giddiness hitting you immediately and it was hard to contain the smile tugging at your lips. 

He didn’t hesitate to match it. “Hey.”

You both simply smiled at each other like idiots for a few moments. Talia was right.  

The sound of the oven beeping followed by Talia saying, “How long it takes for the oven to preheat is the one thing that I’m really not gonna miss about this place,” seemed to pull you both out of your lovestruck trance.  

“Hi, sorry, come in,” You said to Steve, pushing the door open further so that he could step inside and then you closed it behind him. “Talia’s baking a cake.”

“A completely normal cake,” She told him and you immediately gave her a look. “Anyway, nice to see you again, Steven.”

“You, too,” He said. “What makes it normal?” 

“Nothing. Please ignore what she just said,” You told him, and then didn’t think too much as you grabbed his hand and led him toward your room. You didn’t realize what you’d done until your door was shut behind you both and your hand was still holding his— it didn’t feel entirely wrong, though. 

You noticed him look at your desk. “You still have Hartford.”

You let go of his hand as you went over to grab the small bear. “Of course, I do. I hope you still have Bowie.” 

“Of course,” He said, smiling and matching your certain tone. 

“Thinking about it now, I feel like that whole Valentine’s night should’ve sealed the deal for me. It was literally a date,” You said, letting out a laugh as you placed Hartford back down on your desk.

Thinking back to Valentine’s Day also made you abruptly remember that that was also the night he told you about him not wanting anything serious and finally explaining the “why” behind it too. And it was then that you realized that just because he had feelings for you didn’t necessarily mean that his mindset on relationships had changed too. 

You were rushing to continue and verbalize that before Steve could say anything. “And I completely get it if all of this doesn’t really change anything. Because none of this means that how you view love and relationships has changed. Not saying that you love me or anything but–”

He cut off your rambling with a head shake. “Hey, no, this is so different. I want everything with you.” It was hard not to become shy under his gaze, especially as he said those words, but you still refused to look away from him as he kept talking. 

“You kind of changed it all for me. I was scared of it before, I think— of doing anything serious and letting anyone in because I just assumed that I’d end up getting heartbroken again. But, with you, it never really felt like that; scary or anything. I think that when we were stuck at my place during the power outage and just talking, deep down I knew that things with you were gonna be different or already were; it didn’t feel weird or scary getting deep with you or letting you in. Same thing with that night in Mexico when we were eating cereal and talking about all of that serious stuff. It took a while for me to actually admit what all of those things meant, though.”

Hearing him say that made you think about when he proposed the fake dating thing, when he said that guys are dumb and it takes them a while to realize things. Thinking about those words now made you smile. 

“Guys are stupid,” You said. “You’re the one that told me that.” 

Steve nodded, laughing a little. “We are. That’s still very true.”

“I was also stupid. I avoided everything for a long time too.”

“Glad to know we’re both idiots then,” He said, which made you smile wider. 

For a second, nothing else was said; it honestly felt as if nothing else really needed to be said right then. You weren’t sure if it was you or him that closed most of the distance between you two— perhaps it was both of you. Either way, a silent agreement to push things further was made as your arms came up to loosely circle his neck and his hands found your waist. 

It was you who didn’t waste a second to turn that final bit of space between you into nothing. You leaned in slowly, though, nose brushing against his before softly finding his lips. 

It was simply just a peck at first, a chaste kiss just to test the waters and define this moment as different from the other few times that this had happened. You both knew that this was entirely different. It wasn’t good but confusing like during the blind date, and it wasn’t for show like the times in Mexico. This first kiss was right, and as simple and brief as it was, it felt damn near perfect.  

When you pulled away after just a second, Steve didn’t hesitate to lean right back in, quickly letting his mouth find yours again. One of his hands left your waist and came up to cup your cheek instead. That soft touch grounded you, it kept you steady and it also did something to your heart; made it start thumping wildly in your chest.

There was no part of you that wanted this moment to end, you wanted to live in it for as long as you could and memorize every single part of it. The way your fingers so easily found home in the hair at the nape of his neck. His warm hand on your waist that you could practically feel through your t-shirt. How it was almost like a dance happening as Steve guided you back against your shut door, pressing you against it, and you used that as the opportunity to pull him impossibly closer to you. 

It didn’t take long for you two to end up in your bed; you quickly became too tired of standing and the doorknob poking into your side became too uncomfortable. 

Your legs were on either side of his lap and he was leaning back against the headboard, pulling you toward him. It felt like you were two teenagers who had just discovered what making out was. And it also felt as if you both were in agreement about feeling like you two had wasted so much time not kissing over the last month of not talking to each other and since you two met that you were trying to make up for all of that lost time. 

When you pulled away to catch your breath, Steve’s lips found your neck, and your eyes immediately slipped shut.

“I meant what I said before,” He mumbled against your skin, but you heard him clearly. 

Your eyes were still contentedly closed as you asked, “Meant what?”

“That you should come to Europe with me this summer.”

You let out a soft laugh that quickly turned into a sigh of contentment when his lips found a particularly sensitive part of your neck. “You’re insane.”

“Insanely serious,” Steve said in between kisses. 

You pulled back then to look at him— it was hard to do, you really didn’t want to pull away, but reluctantly you did. You wanted to gauge how serious he was actually being right then, and you could tell by the look on his face that he wasn’t joking. 

His hands found yours and intertwined them. “Say yes.”

How happy he sounded rubbed off on you and you had to bite your lip to suppress your growing smile. “I’ll think about it.”

“That sounds like a yes to me,” He said, still smiling as he leaned in to kiss you. 

You pulled away after the briefest second. “I’m serious.” You weren’t at all. “I gotta make a pro and con list to make sure this is the right decision.” 

“Okay, I’m already thinking of a bunch of pros to add to the list,” Steve told you and then gave you a playful smile. “I can’t think of any cons, though, so...” He finished off with a shrug that made you laugh. 

Weirdly enough, no cons were coming to your mind right then either. 

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

next part!

taglist (lmk if you want to be added or taken off<333); @eddiernunson , @loulouloueh , @the-aster , @blckburd , @totally-bogus-timelady , @yujyujj , @irhdifartzamfyaa , @mochminnie , @munsonssweets , @blckbrrybasket , @xprloki , @definitionwanderlust , @dwcode , @sun-fiower-seed , @keerysfolklore , @damon-loves-pie , @lodeddiperrodrick , @bisexual-and-intellectual , @munsonburn3r , @negomi123 , @khena , @facexthexsunshine , @seatbacksandtraytables , @suckerfordylansstuff , @lilacccs , @thehairington86 , @welcometohellsock

(if your user is crossed out it means i can’t tag you</3)

[theomnicode]

How does Genos show he cares? How to write a relatable cyborg character

Warning: Very long post incoming, tl;dr at the bottom

This meta doubles as Genos appreciation post. :D

Ever since his introduction, Genos has shown multiple times his very humane side of caring about Saitama and caring about defeating evil for the betterment of mankind. (Chapter 5: Itch explosion)

The first line he utters to Saitama is to tell him to hide because he does not want this casualty and when he forgets Saitama was there with him, he worries about him having become a casualty to his incinerator. (Chapter 6: Saitama)

Genos has to resort to almost blowing himself and mosquito girl up because he sees no other way to rid the world of such a powerful monster, but fortunately Saitama intervenes. They exchange names and go their merry way but later on, Genos knock on his door as he promised he would. Saitama is very uncertain about this new cyborg buddy of his, but he lets him in regardless and they have a chat.

Here Genos shows that he also worries about Saitama's health, after having barely met him, when he considers how odd it is that Saitama has balded completely at his age already, which is very abnormal medically considering. (Chapter 7: Mysterious raid)

Genos seems to have bunch of medical knowledge inside his head, as later on in the series he improvises a defiblirator and would have used it on Tank-top master if Bang hadn't gotten his heart started first. (Chapter 144: Silver fang)

He also remarks about Kombu's not so proven scientitic research about it growing hair when Saitama has defeated the Kombu monster and taken the leaf parts for him to eat, making the assumption that Saitama must've gotten the Kombu for growing out his hair. Genos cares a lot about Saitama's health already and they're barely acquainted at best at this point. (Chapter 20: Rumour)

The first duo battle they have shows Genos showing a lot of concern towards Saitama's well being, even when he really does not have to, but he's not yet acquainted well with the level of power Saitama actually possesses so he would not need to worry so much. (Chapter 7: Mysterious raid)

He also looks very disdraught about the fact that he cannot just rush to Saitama's aid because he's too busy himself with Armored gorilla, when the other monster decides to take advantage of Saitama's immobile state. (Chapter 8: You mean this guy?)

Poor Genos is such a worrywart because of his own trauma of losing everything in an instant, it honestly does him good to be able to trust Saitama and that Saitama cannot be harmed that easily. It is good that nowdays, he trusts in Saitama's capabilities to handle himself and he worries a lot less (Chapter 165: Absolute evil), even if he immediately went for an enthusiastic armless glomp on him the moment he saw Saitama was back safe and sound. (Chapter 168: Awakening of the gods)

Otherwise he might want to rush to Saitama's aid without thinking about himself and his own opponent first, like he does with Armored Gorilla, who manages to grab his shoulder when he turns his back to his own enemy. If he cares too much, he lets his guard down against enemies and that is not a good habit to have when his enemies are extremely strong.

A very glaring weakness that could be exploited without mercy in any kind of (double) battle if he does not have the insurance that Saitama is just about impossible to be harmed...well, physically at least.

Genos trust in Saitama's capabilities has unfortunately gotten to the point where he thinks Saitama is an answer to every possible problem mankind could face and where Saitama is basically some sort of messiah. Not without reason either, because Saitama performed some insane feats during the Garou fight. (Chapter 166-168, Chapter 173.)

-*-

Moving back in timeline, Genos is instantly very protective of Saitama, to the point of zealousness and jealosy popping up from time to time when other people try to monopolise Saitama's time to themselves.

Genos overprotectiveness early on also shows in way that he wants to take care of anything that might threathen Saitama's well being without mercy, like blowing up the entirety of the House of Evolution building and ramming himself into the next enemy he sees, that being Carnage Kabuto, but in doing so he can and will easily overexert himself. (Chapter 11: The key to his power)

Genos has immediately become the guard dog of Saitama, that even Flashy flash makes a remark on and tells Genos to sit out like a dog, that Genos immediately refutes by having a peep hole into Saitama's apartment and rejects the proposal of Flashy becoming Saitama's master. (Chapter 193: World I know nothing about)

Genos just outright refuses anybody from monopolising Saitama's time to themselves when he's the one who feels like he has the right to 1 on 1 interaction with Saitama, being his obsessive disciple. 😂

Anybody who dares to waste Saitama sensei's precious time, they have to go through him first.

Early on, Saitama has also learned that he can't scare Genos away with his problems. Genos is far too loyal and even if Saitama wanted to stew with his problem alone, Genos cares far too much already and is far too loyal to be sidelined that easily. (Chapter 15: Hobby and work)

Saitama has also learned that Genos can get quite passionate, intimidating and murderous even if he feels like Saitama's been hurt in some way, such as embarrassed due to low score on his exam when Genos thinks he deserves much better scores, so Saitama has to rein him in lest he seriously go off on some random poor dude who just examined his scores. (Chapter 16: Passed the exam)

(Ah Genos, always over the top reaction. Never change. :D)

-*-

One thing about Genos that gives him points in Saitama's eye is that he is quite willing to explain any concept to Saitama, without judgement even if the logical deduction of said thing would've been easy for to understand. Other people might make snide remarks at Saitama, but not Genos. (Chapter 17: Sparring)

Genos also always has Saitama's best interest in hand and asks if he's going to be fine considering his hero rank and that he hasn't seen Saitama active. (Chapter 18: Business activity)

Genos integrates into Saitama's life almost seamlessly, from grocery shopping to meticulously cleaning the house each and every day, from cleaning the windows, vacuuming, cooking, doing dishes and even scrubbing the toilet on daily basis. There is a lot house work that he does for Saitama.

However, the most outstanding character quality in Genos is that he refuses to give up, no matter how dire or dark the situation may seem, such as during the meteor incident, where he goes completely alone to face such a dragon level threat that it could wipe out the entire city and then some. He cares much about Saitama, but so does he care about the innocent citizens getting caught by such a disaster. (Chapter 21: Giant meteor)

Being close to Saitama, it gives Genos strenght to carry on through even the most difficult tasks shoved on him, because not trusting himself enough and his capabilities will only cause him to hesitate in the face of potential collateral damage and that can be a big weakness in itself when time is of the essence.

After the meteor incident has been dealt with, Genos also shows that he cares a lot about Saitama's feelings and does not want them to be hurt, so that is why he omits telling him that public has made Saitama their enemy, hoping that with time their unjust anger would fade. Unfortunately, that is not to be because Saitama goes outside and faces these angry people anyway. (Chapter 22: Voices)

Genos holds Saitama is very high regard and immediately writes down Saitama's inspiring quote. It is not enough that he cares about his physical and mental well being, but he also cares about Saitama as the person and his feelings, even if he idolizes him a lot.

This trait is further explored in the anime with the extra scene where Genos comes to bring Saitama back home because he worries for Saitama's well being again since the public is turned against him, listens to Saitama's rant and affirms his feelings but still tells Saitama that he would always follow him, no matter what the public thinks about him. Saitama however does not quite get it and only thinks Genos is just buttering him up like earlier, with complements and such, because he does not think of himself very highly but it still manages to bring a smile to his face, something that Genos unfortunately does not get to see. (Episode 7, The greatest apprentice)

Genos being a caring, loyal, headstrong and hardworking protector is put to another test against Sea King, where he gets pummeled and pummels back as much as he can give in an incredible fight, but chooses again to self-sacrifice himself to save a little girl from the corrosive acid of Sea king when he sees no other option to save her, besides throwing his more resilient cyborg body in the way, but at the same time, allows himself to become inoperable and at the mercy of Sea king. (Chapter 26: Glimmer of hope)

It is in Mumen rider's care and headstrong intervention that saves Genos from dying at the hands of Sea King because Saitama had become lost and only just made it there to save them both. At the end, Genos contemplates that he will still follow Saitama, even if the public turned on him en masse and he found himself in a tight spot. (Chapter 28: Since it's raining)

As soon as the letters start pouring in about their heroics, Genos sees how ugly the masses treat Saitama in the form of hate letters and he does not want to stand idly by while everyone throws disparaging comments about Saitama. But poor Genos also feels like he's the one to blame, for showing the letters to Saitama. 😭

This has become quite a long ramble about how Genos is very caring, headstrong, hardworking hero and I could go on for even longer than that since I've only checked out the first portion of the manga for this meta to use as examples, but as a final thought, not a whole lot encompasses Genos as a character than the last panels I can put into this post.

Genos cares so much he does not just fiercely fight for the individuals; he fights for his sensei, for the citizens, for the other heroes and for the world to be a better place, rid of evil. That he still came to Tatsumaki's aid even when the situation seemed hopeless because he could. This humane side of him is very relatable, caring about our loved ones and other human beings is very intrinsical to our own well being as social people. (Chapter 134: Twist & Chapter 137: Resonance)

However, he still has those self-destructing tendencies that are hopefully curbed now that he got positive reinforcement from Saitama for not blowing himself up, so that he values himself a bit more. That he is not expendable piece. (Chapter 155: Results)

Last thoughts, Genos is incredibly passionate individual when it comes to protecting others and avenging his loved ones. He even threw his remainder of a torso directly at Cosmic Garou, just because he's resistant to radiation, with his brain being encompassed behind heavy fortifications. (Chapter 166: Squared.)

(^ Chapter 186: Turning point ^)

Hope y'all enjoyed this incredibly long post about Genos and how he shows his caring side. :D

Thank you @themisterhip for this meta idea on discord. :)

Tl;dr Genos is hardworking, passionate, very caring, meticulous, fierce, intelligent and well-researched individual who fights to the best of his ability for other people, no matter what it takes. Ironically, Genos is one if not the most humane character in the series, despite being a cyborg.

[zirconika]

PART ONE

⇚ NAVIGATION || MASTERLIST

This chapter is part of a two-part fic entitled 'Chivalry is Dead.' Click the link to view the series masterlist!

PAIRING: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader WORDS: 5.8k SUMMARY: You’re smitten with the archer you meet at the quarry who doesn’t believe in romance, vowing to make him yours, but it eventually becomes frustrating when he’s never clear with what he wants. WARNINGS: fluff. angst with comfort, then angst with no comfort. reader is very flirty with daryl.  SETTING: the quarry, the farm, and the prison

I. A CHANGE OF SCENERY - THE QUARRY

Prim and proper, clean-shaven, wears an authentic watch, bothers to use cufflinks, gets a neat haircut often, works in corporate…

You liked your men worthy of an introduction to your family. The kind of guy who you could, with no shame, flaunt to your family. A guy who would do well in the role of a sweet, loving husband and father in the comfort of the suburban home you built together.

Shame that they’re pretty hard to come by lately, not to mention that it doesn’t even matter anymore—

“…Y’know what I mean?” you rambled to the archer who had a permanent scowl itched on his face. Unbeknownst to you thanks to your drunken stupor, he’d been listening to you going off about your type.

He watched as you held an almost empty bottle of alcohol pressed to your chest, your eyes manning the space around you as if you were talking to a crowd of people. Much to your luck, the rest of the people had eventually retreated to their own tents, leaving you to the company of this — sorta cute — redneck.

“Like, where do you think I could even get them these days?” you laughed, your eyes going back to him. “But then, like, y’know, it doesn’t even matter ‘coz I got my family killed! And I didn’t even do anything, I just ran like a fucking coward.”

Daryl decided an hour and a half ago that he’d up and go off to somewhere else, maybe to hunt. But he couldn’t bring himself to leave in concern for the drunk woman beside him who’d sooner or later become another hunter’s prey. Maybe even the undead’s.

Pain in ‘ma ass, he’d thought to himself while watching you with a scowl as he sank back down to the log in front of the campfire. 

“I could use a bar of chocolate, but… This is the closest thing.” You made to gulp down more of the alcohol, but he reached out to snag it away from your hands. You yelled at the archer. “What are you—!”

“‘Yer a fuckin’ idiot,” he spat, setting the bottle aside. Daryl met your bewildered gaze, and he was certain you wouldn’t even remember it the next day. “Ain’t no reason blamin’ yourself for somethin’ ya couldn’t prevent. And ‘yer worried about all the wrong things, too! I’s out there huntin’ and I couldn’t care less ‘bout what kind’a girl I’d snag, I actually worried ‘bout somethin’ that matters! Like the fuck the camp’s gonna eat, which one of us would those stinking geeks get next and—!”

Daryl zipped his mouth shut for a good moment, realizing he’d said too much. Oh, fuck. He was thinking of ways to save this. He didn’t have an inkling on how to comfort a girl, much less a drunk and crying one. Your eyes turned glassy, your face contorting to…

“Pfft!” you laughed, further confusing the archer before you. He watched as you leaned backward, laughing. It was sort of a relief to watch and to hear; some great change of scenery to what he’d grown accustomed to seeing on the daily. “Y’know the” — you hiccuped — “funny thing about the guys I used to date? They ended up screwin’ some other pretty girl looking for the same guy as me. See, I cracked the code!”

You blinked a couple of times. Daryl remained silent. You couldn’t help but giggle as you leaned closer to the archer, and he couldn’t help but feel a surge of warmth in his chest as you came closer, your nose closing in on a couple of inches away from his. 

A buzzing sensation crawled from your chest to your cheeks, warming your face up as you felt something begging to be unleashed from within you—a confession, perhaps?

He got a good whiff of the alcohol from your dry lips as you opened your mouth to speak. “I should’ve been looking for someone like you!”

Daryl felt heat rush to his cheeks. He wondered if that was a good thing or a bad thing: Good because you considered him worthy of being chosen or bad because that would mean he was the opposite of everything you thought was ideal in a partner?

Why did it matter to him?

You leaned closer. “Better yet, I think that you’re—”

The warmth he could feel inside of his chest was now outside too, pouring on the surface of his shirt with alcohol and bile mixing in the humid air of the night.

“Fucking hell!” he cursed in a whisper as your body slumped forward, passing out asleep on his lap. Daryl would have done the same as you if somebody told him that that night was the beginning of an epic love story.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

The following days went by like a blur, with Daryl’s suspicion that you recalled everything dissolving into the relief that maybe you really had no idea what happened that night. You acted normal the day after that brilliant occasion, save for groggy eyes that lasted the entire day as well as a visible temper. 

You paid him no mind the entire time, but he assumed you were just embarrassed for confrontation. However, the entire week passed and you made no comment whatsoever about what transpired. 

His eyes always lingered on you a second longer than he’d intend to in an attempt to get a glimpse of embarrassment. He’d been meaning to tease you about it as revenge, but… Looks like you’ve forgotten. He probably should, too.

This very relief went away when you volunteered to come along with him to hunt for food. “I’m coming along, you should teach me how to use your crossbow,” you said, dagger in hand.

He wanted to argue, but worried he’d say something that would trigger your memory, he only nudged his nose up as a nod. 

The entire walk in the woods would have been a painful silence if not for the rustling of leaves in the trees and the subtle whistle of the wind.

You watched the broad shouldered archer before you made his way with calculated steps, even while you couldn't yet pinpoint a target. “Well, aren’t you stealthy?” 

Daryl spared a glare your way. “Why’d ya go huntin’ anyway? And with a blunt knife at that—are ya and idiot or somethin’?”

“‘Cause I was thinking maybe you should teach me your weapon of choice.” You looked at him as if he said something mad. “Didn’t I just say that, like, two minutes ago?”

He noticed that you said ‘should’ instead of ‘could.’

“Let me get this straight,” the archer started, halting, and you knew a scowl would greet you before he even faced you. “Ya went into the woods to hunt, but ya don’t even have a clue how?”

“Oh, honey, I didn’t say I needed you to teach me how to hunt. Didn’t even say I was gonna hunt.” You stepped closer to him. You noticed he took a subtle step back, and you couldn’t help but grin. Could it be that this rugged gentleman is nervous? “I said I wanted you to teach me how to use your crossbow.”

He cleared his throat, pulling back his armor of a scowl matched with an anger that was certainly uncalled for. “Oh, yeah? It’s fuckin’ stupid of ya to think I go around grantin’ everybody’s requests! And I ain’t gonna just stand here and take this, hunt by yourself.”

Daryl turned around, a casual swagger to his walk. You had to smirk at his back, knowing what he’d do next once you hit him with your first ammunition: intel. “I know something you stood for and took like a champ.”

The archer froze. 

“Thanks, by the way. And sorry you had to deal with that!” you exclaimed. “See, between the two of us, I’m not the stupid one. You could’ve used that against me, but you didn’t. And that just made me more interested in you—like, wow! You’re a lot more of a gentleman than you think you are.”

Oh, Daryl was pissed. Why were you the one making fun of him when it’s you who should’ve been abashed by what happened? “You remembered all along and ya didn’t say sorry?”

“I just did,” you said blankly.

Daryl faced you, shaking his head in a stubborn way. “Nah, ‘ya didn’t.”

“Yeah, I did. I said ‘sorry you had to deal with that.’”

He scoffed. “Doesn’t count.”

“Does too!” you spat back, this time grinning at the archer. You couldn’t help but laugh at his growing frown. “Come on, if you could take that with dignity, surely a crossbow lesson with Coach Daryl can’t be that bad.”

“Why do ya even want one? Thought ya said it wasn’t practical, righ’?” he asked, recalling all the times you called his weapon all kinds of things when you were drunk: “It’s way too heavy and takes up arm space! Can’t fit it in a pocket! It looks like a toy!”

You laughed out loud from his poor attempts at imitating you. Daryl felt the slightest tinge of embarrassment. He wanted to cup his own cheeks to make sure he wasn’t imagining the heat in there, worried he’d gone red. And if he did, he hoped you’d mistake it for the effect of the Georgia sun.

“Yeah, I did say that,” you said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Daryl raised a brow. “So why want it?”

You stepped forward again, taunting him. “Because I have a thing for the guy giving the lessons.”

The warmth that paid him a visit that one fateful night made its presence clearer, this time from the burrows of his chest. What the fuck was wrong with him? 

“I ain’t interested,” he said. Daryl was all things, but not a liar. This time, though, he might just be one.

Although he was looking down at you, he felt as if he was the one being challenged from above. He gulped. 

This time, you raised a brow at him. “Oh, you’re not into girls?”

“I—”

“I’m kidding. Y’know I thought the same, maybe you weren’t interested in me.”

Daryl shrugged, composing himself in an attempt to restore the dynamic he had in his head where he could be in a position where he could intimidate you. He couldn’t. “Yeah, ‘cause I ain’t.”

You continued to ramble on. “I was thinking, hey, maybe this guy doesn’t have any feelings for me!”

He put his hands on his hips, challenging you. But you weren’t quick to back down from a fight. “‘Cause I don’t.”

“Right,” you mused. “Didn’t you bring me a warm cup of tea the day after to help with my hangover?”

He watched you with question, but he worried you’d see the static coming from his chest and spreading to his arms. “Yeah, that woman Carol asked me to.”

“Huh,” you scoffed with a smile, ready for the look on his face to come and indicate your victory. “Funny. I was ready to ignore what happened, think of your kindness as nothing but kindness. But see, I came by sweet Carol’s tent to thank her but imagine my surprise when she said ‘What tea’?”

He had no answer to that. Usually, Daryl was a man who could think on his feet. Heck, you expected him to have some brilliant excuse. He was a hunter, after all. It was natural of him to think quickly.

You licked your lips, staring at his with that smirk of yours he wanted so badly to wipe off. “I’m gonna court you, Daryl Dixon. And you’re gonna say yes.”

The archer grunted, swinging his beloved weapon across his shoulder, shaking his head in denial. “I ain’t ever sayin’ yes to anything.”

“Sure, not today, not tomorrow, but a little push and I know I can get to you.”

Daryl spit somewhere on the dead soil surrounding you as he walked off to the trees. “Nah, never.”

As he disappeared into the forest, you couldn’t help but grin, feeling confident. You saw that moment of weakness. Somehow, some part of you knew it would happen. “Never say never, Daryl Dixon!”

You saw his middle finger raised just before he disappeared further, and you couldn’t help but laugh. Game on, archer.

It went on like that for a while. Daryl said he hated it, that ‘allat romance crap’s worth nothin.’ Still, those little slip-ups in his expressions and gait let you know that there was an opening there somewhere. 

He did start teaching you how to use his crossbow, and the first time you were able to shoot a deer with it, you felt as if his silence was born from both his shock and the fact that he was possibly impressed. 

“I can feel your boner from here, Dixon,” you smirked as you carried his crossbow with you as you began to walk over to your successful capture.

“Shuddup,” he said in response. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was definitely thrown off by how he was feeling watching you walking with his weapon. 

“Help me with this,” you said, grabbing the animal by its hind legs. “Carry the deer so the gang could see how kickass I look with your crossbow. No wonder you like it, it makes me feel sexy.”

When you faced the archer, you raised a brow. He’d been staring and out of focus longer than he intended to be, not that he did. You smirk at this.

“You’re starting to like me,” you said, pointing at him with an accusatory finger. “You were staring.”

“Nuh uh,” he said, composing himself as he hurried to haul the animal over his shoulder. 

“Is it the crossbow? ‘Cause I get it. I look at you with it and I think, ‘Oh, now that’s a man.’” You adjust the crossbow on your shoulder as Daryl watches you with confusion and… Maybe admiration? “I’m gonna do an experiment. This is hot.”

You move the crossbow to your hands, extending it outwards, posing for him with a slouch. “Not hot.”

You kept going on; hot with the crossbow, not hot for the crossbow. Until Daryl stopped you.

“Yer wastin’ time, yours and mine, when yer hot either way.” Daryl froze. So did you. His eyes widened, his cheeks redder than ever. “Not hot. Either way. Hey, I—!”

“You think I’m hot! You said I—!” you exclaim. Daryl clasped his clean hand over your mouth, pushing you against the tree. 

“They’re gonna hear ya.”

No walker came by. You could hear nothing but Daryl’s breath and yours, at least until he dropped his hand.

On the walk back to camp, you were grinning the entire way. Daryl remained silent, afraid he’d say something that you could use against him.

“That was a Freudian slip,” you said with a snort. 

Daryl wanted to argue, but knowing he couldn’t trust himself with talking, he kept his words short. “A what?”

“You subconsciously said something you actually meant. I get it, really.” You make a show of holding his crossbow. “I like you, you like me. But then you feel embarrassed that I’m going after you before you could go after me because you feel weird about a woman pursuing you even though you clearly really have the hots for her.”

He fought to keep his face stoic. “Nah, I don’t.”

“Yeah, you do.”

“Alrigh,” Daryl said just to end the conversation.

“Alright as in yes you do?” you tease the archer. 

Daryl smirked, determined to get you to admit defeat on your mission to pursue him. “Alrigh’ as in I don’t care.”

But you weren’t a quitter. He’d shown a glimpse of how he felt, and you were determined to get it out of him. By the time you reached camp, you handed his crossbow over to him with a glimmer in your eyes.

“You seemed to enjoy having your hands on me just a couple of minutes ago.” You flip him off as you walk away to go help out with the rest of the people in the camp. “See ya, Dixon.”

Though he wouldn’t show it, Daryl would rather sleep in the woods alone, weaponless than admit that he did. 

It wasn’t just that. He didn’t hate the things you were doing to him and for him. He hated that he wished he thought of pursuing you sooner so he’d have the upper hand. . .

Nah, nah, I don’t. He shook his head to himself.

But it became harder to deny whenever you went out of your way to do something for him, especially when he lost his brother. When he mourned Merle, you were there. And you weren’t a menace like he thought you would be.

You were just. . .there. Giving him the bigger half of whatever food you had, lingering just ever so near, and more. Daryl was surprised to realize that he enjoyed your company. 

He knew he was fucked. Especially when he realized he missed you flirting with him, but he’d never tell you that.

II. NICE - GREENE FARM

Looking for a missing child was way easier when there were no corpses roaming the land of the living, back when there was no need to distinguish what’s alive and what’s not. You were hoping that Sophia would turn up as soon as possible. 

You felt a twinge of guilt realizing that your hope for the child being found was just Daryl’s return, but it wasn’t like that at all. It wasn’t that you had this silly crush on the archer. Yes, you did, but you needed the right time to talk to him about what happened at the CDC.

You’d never felt so mortified. For the longest time, you’ve been saying that you wanted to accept death in exchange for peace. You always thought that when the time comes, you’d be ready. It was a fucked up way to realize that you weren’t, and you found yourself out of breath, unable to chase your breathing.

Daryl was hysterical, but upon seeing you, he immediately rushed in front of you, cupping your face with his rough hands. 

“We’re gettin’ outta here alive,” he’d told you as your chest heaved from realizing you were nearing your doom. He then held you against his chest, his calloused fingers caressing your hair with the most gentle care, as if holding you wrong would cause you to break. You weren’t able to process the rest, but you remembered him at first assisting you in walking until he eventually carried you in his arms out of the facility right before it deteriorated.

You never got to speak to him since then except for when you encountered the herd on the road. He just asked if you were okay, and that was it. 

He’d been preoccupied looking for Sophia ever since. You didn’t want to assume that he’d only been looking for her just because that would make you the biggest insensitive asshole in the world. 

Just then, a young blonde girl came out of the house, a tray in hand. 

“Hi,” she said. You could tell right from how she held herself that she was of good nature. “I’m Beth. I brought you some tea and some oatmeal.”

A small smile came on your face, and you couldn’t help but let it grow brighter when you watched the girl realize why. 

“Oh, I gave this to you on my own—nevermind,” she sighed. “He told me not to tell you ‘cause he said you were—”

“A pain in his ass?” you teased with a grin. “Verbatim?”

Beth considered what she was going to say, but she eventually smiled as well as she set it on the small stool table beside the rocking chair you were sitting on while you stared in the distance. “Well, yes.”

You laughed together with the girl. It was easy to talk to her, you felt light. 

“But he also told me to watch after you.”

You waved your hand, dismissing Daryl’s order to the girl. “Oh, you don’t have to do that. In fact, we should share this oatmeal. It looks good!”

Beth gave you the warmest smile anyone’s ever given you for the past week. “No, I’m okay. He specifically told me to make sure you eat enough. Said he’d bring in something later for you later.”

This time, heat rushed to your cheeks. You stuffed it down. “I’m pretty sure the meat’s for all of us, just including me.”

“I don’t know,” Beth said, leaning against the railing of the house’s front porch. The air certainly felt different in the farm compared to every other place you’ve been to. The sun was setting, and the view of the sky could make anyone oblivious to the newfound horrors of the world. “He was talking about how you needed it, but my dad said you weren’t in need of any medicine. You just needed to eat somethin. And if you needed something for your headache, we have it.”

“I see,” you said, your shoulders sinking. “He’s probably just avoiding me.”

Beth faced you, confused. “Why would he do that?”

“Well, that’s Daryl.” You shrugged, thinking back to what he’d done for you at the CDC. You could almost feel his arms carrying you again, and you couldn’t help but feel the heat in your cheeks return. You instinctively look down. 

Beth noticed your brow furrowing just before you reached out to feel your temple. “Do you need anything?”

“Sorry you have to take care of me,” you say with an apologetic smile. “Just whatever you have for headaches and a decent sleep.”

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

You awoke around the middle of the night to the door to your room shutting closed. At first, you thought that someone came in only to find that you were completely alone. You then heard the faint sound of footsteps walking down the stairs just outside. 

Stirring awake, you sit up straight to rub your eyes. Outside, the sky was dark. You must’ve slept for around eight hours, because you could no longer feel sleep returning easily. The urge was there, but you knew sinking back into a deep sleep would be for nothing. 

You yawn and scratch at your neck. On the nightstand to your right, you’re relieved to find a glass of water. But what stole your attention was what sat right next to it.

You were surprised to find three packs of chocolates: KitKat Bars, Kisses, and Hershey’s. There were also some packs of M&Ms.

Thinking back to the footsteps rushing down the stairs just a minute ago, you hurriedly carried all of the chocolates with you and ran down the stairs as lightly as you could so as to not wake anyone. 

You swung the screen door open, trudging down the stairs of the porch. You reach Daryl just before he enters the tent. You chuck the pack of KitKats to his head, to which he yelped. “Ow!”

“Do you like me?” you ask directly.

The archer faces you, picking up the pack of KitKats you threw at him. “What’d ya do that for?”

“Do you like me?” you ask, firmer this time.

There’s that pause. That two-second, lingering, suffocating pause. “I don’t.”

But that pause meant maybe. Both of you knew it, he just didn’t want to admit it, like he always does. Annoyed, you throw the rest of the chocolates to his feet. “Then you shouldn’t be doing things that make it seem like you do!”

You don’t know if it was the painkillers or just your interrupted sleep, but you definitely felt your temper controlling you. 

“I was bein’ nice.”

“Nice is opening the door for someone. Nice is handing the water pitcher at the dinner table. Nice is not asking someone to take care of me while you’re away, nice is not you bringing me chocolates like it’s Valentine’s to cheer me up when you know damn well how I feel about you. Nice is not making me feel like you feel the same and then take it back then just act like you do feel the same again!”

Daryl stood there, taking it all.

You rubbed at your eyes, your shoulders slumping. You feel a lump in your throat and your eyes begin to water. You stare at him for three seconds before turning around to return inside when he grabs you by the wrist to pull you into that same embrace he’d wrapped you into that day at the CDC. 

He was warm. God, he was warm. You hated that your body craved the press of his. 

He held you until you stopped crying. Until, for some reason, you were holed up in his tent, eating the chocolates he got for you while the two of you talked about everything and nothing. 

You realized how easy it was to speak to Daryl, too. How it came naturally, and how you felt comfortable being yourself around him outside of the flirting. Maybe it really was better to remain friends.

You were just being nice to each other. But if Daryl really did feel an ounce of what you felt, then that wouldn’t be very nice of him.

For a while, you accepted that. You stopped pursuing him altogether and maintained a respectable distance with him. He then always seemed to be everywhere you went, but you told yourself you were in over your head thinking he’d ever even feel the same way.

III. RETURN - PRISON

Life was good. Save for the nightmare that was facing the Governor, of course. The last time you felt a grudge against him was when he left with his brother, but you stopped yourself from feeling anything. After all, that was his brother and you were…

A friend. He’d apologized leaving by bringing you more chocolates from his run. Things have been good lately. You loved being friends with Daryl.

Sure, you’d find yourself in feats of attraction towards the guy ever so often, like the time he carried baby Judith. . .

That was something.

It didn’t help that he was looking at you while he was carrying her, even playing with her and showing her to you. You hated that even though you say you feel nothing anymore, sometimes everything resurfaces.

If only you knew what was going through his mind when he passed baby Judith to you. 

Those were little tests that failed to weaken your belief that you were better off as friends. You survived them. Yep, you were fine being friends. It was just a silly crush anyway.

“[Y/N],” Daryl called from outside your cell. “[Y/N], we’re heading out to get some meds, ‘ya need anythin’? Chocolates again, maybe?”

You were covered in two blankets head neck to toe, your back to the cell door. You said nothing, much less did anything to indicate you heard him. Daryl stepped inside, feeling bad that he’d crossed over but he somehow felt like he had to.

“[Y/N]?”

By the second Daryl laid his hands on your shoulder to tap you, he knew he had to turn you over. You were shivering in your half-sleep, and yet when Daryl pressed the back of his palm against you, you were burning up.

“Jesus, you’re—!”

“I think I caught it,” you said. You try to sit up, and Daryl helps you up. You turn the other way to cough. “I was gonna bring myself to the quarantine cell block, but I couldn’t stand up.”

“Here, I got ‘ya,” he said, helping you up. “You sure ‘ya don’t wanna stay here in your cell instead?”

You shook your head. “I could turn and infect everyone. I—”

“Hey.” He cupped your cheek with his hand, gently tapping it to keep you in check. “You’re not gonna turn, I’m not gonna let that happen to ‘ya. I’m goin’ out and gettin’ ‘ya the meds, then yer gonna be fine.”

“Well, that’s awfully nice of you,” you said drunkenly. On the way to the isolated block, you feel yourself losing your step… Losing your consciousness…

“[Y/N]? [Y/N]!”

And it all went dark.

The days that followed promised a new routine. After the supply run, you were the first stop Daryl visited. He talked to you, took care of you. He’d tell you stories about him and his brother Merle. You’d tell him about the guys you dated and every single terrible date experience you’ve had.

“Yeah, you said you hated dating ‘em. So you wanted to date guys like me instead, y’know, the kind you’d be embarrassed to introduce to your ma and pa.”

You laughed. “Oh, come on. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Friends, friends, friends. That’s how it is, how it should’ve been right from the start. It’s so easy to laugh with Daryl, so easy to be with him.

That was until you got better. You were out, making the rounds.

“Ya shouldn’t be here,” he’d told you when he caught you walking the perimeter with a revolver. “At least not yet. I’ll take over from here.”

“Nah, somehow I feel way sicker when I’m not doing anything.”

He shrugged. “You could read a book.”

“Oh, yeah?” you chuckled.

“Oh, yeah.”

Silence again. It was just the two of you in the dead of night, and you wondered if you only imagined the flurry of emotions back then when you were separated when you got sick.

You wanted to stay there in that moment forever, just standing in the dark with Daryl. But you felt a sort of suffocating sensation the moment you thought of him fondly. You were a bit sleepy anyway.

“Actually, maybe I should go.” Yawning, you stuff the revolver back to your holster. “Good night, Daryl.”

You only got to walk past him a couple of steps before he spoke.

“[Y/N]?” he called out to you just before you were about to return to your quarters. You felt sleep about to take you in deeply, but you fought it off, telling yourself it’ll be quick.

You face the archer, raising an interrogative brow in response. 

For some strange, mundane reason, you found him extra lovely tonight. You were forced to discover why as he leaned forward, pressing his lips into yours in the most gentle way he could. You pull away.

There’s a question in your eyes, and so he only kisses you again in response. You kiss him back, this time with desperation. You don’t know where to put your hands, overwhelmed by this gust of exhilaration washing over you as his hands caress the nape of your neck. 

He pulls away this time.

You couldn’t believe it. So many thoughts ran into your head. Pursuing Daryl used to be something you were just looking forward to as a challenge, maybe even just for the sole purpose of enjoying a fling knowing the end is near.

But you got to know him. He got to know you, and you let him. You felt heat rush to your cheeks, bringing them high enough for the most genuine grin to show in your face. “Does this mean—?”

“Nah.” He takes a step backward, and your grin instantly dissolves into a frown at the sight of him shaking his head. “No, I…”

What?

You shake your head in disbelief. 

What the fuck?

Your smile faltered further. The butterflies in your stomach you thought you felt suddenly felt as if you were about to throw it up again.

“No?” you utter in disbelief, the taste of his lips still stuck somewhere in your mouth. You step backward as well, staring into space as you touched the lips of yours he’d just kissed with so much passion, opposite to the coldness he’d brought upon you with that one word. The rush from the kiss was being drowned by an otherworldly anger threatening to be unleashed. “What the—No?”

You turn your focus to him again. He says nothing, his back to you as he stares into the dark greenery outside of the fence. 

“You make me chase after you like a fool and ‘No’?”

Daryl sunk into himself. He didn’t deserve you. He didn’t deserve anything you gave him. He didn’t know what to say. “I didn’t ask ‘ya to.”

He wanted to disappear. 

“Right.” You had to laugh. “Turn around. Face me.”

The archer obliged, and you couldn’t read his face enough through the tears born from your anger. He hated that he wanted to grab you by the waist and pull you into another kiss, to press his lips against your neck and down to your chest. He wanted to caress your hair, to—

“Back at the CDC, I wanted to stop pursuing you. But then” — his heart broke as your voice cracked — “you held my hand when we found out we could die and you looked at me with those fucking eyes of yours on your goddamn face and I thought maybe there was something real, something I could get out of you if I tried hard enough.”

“We’re gettin’ outta here alive,” he’d told you as your chest heaved from realizing you were nearing your doom. He held you against his chest, his calloused fingers caressing your hair with the most gentle care, as if holding you wrong would cause you to break.

“Then you were cold again, and I thought maybe you were just being kind like usual back then but you—argh! You got me chocolates when I was scared shitless from almost dying and called it being nice and friendly before holding me again!”

You rubbed your eyes, frustrated more than ever.

“You just had to take advantage of the fact that I’m weak for you! You nursed me back to health when I got sick, you spoke to me as if you felt the same way, just—everything! You say you didn’t ask me to chase after you but when I did stop, you find ways to get me back on your trail and now you kiss me and then you take it back?”

You felt your heart begging to be freed. You couldn’t breathe. The lump in your throat was building up, and you knew it did its work once you felt your cheeks begin to wet. 

You couldn’t even see him clearly through your tears. “What the fuck do you want, Daryl?”

How could he tell you? What could he say? He didn’t even know what he wanted. Still, you waited in hopes he’d give you an explanation. That he’d at least explain himself.

“Do you like me?” you ask him again. No response.

You steel yourself for what you were about to ask next. 

“Do you love me?”

Silence. 

“God, I’m so stupid."

Realizing the chance you gave him is all for naught, you shook your head with a mirthless laugh as you walked away. The embrace of sleep never returned, and you were left to stare at the ceiling, waiting for daybreak to come just so you could fight an unwinnable war.

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[mermaidgirl30]

✨Royalty Clad In Silver Armor Chapter 1: Silver Threads and Sworn Oaths✨

Knight! Joel Miller x Princess! OFC

Series Masterlist

A/N: Ahh! This has been a long time coming. I had a sudden wave of inspiration and decided on an OFC for this, so I’m really excited to finally get some traction on the story. I hope you will love it like I do! Super nostalgic write for me 👑 If you’d like updates, please follow my notifications blog @mermaidgirl30-updates

Chapter Summary: Princess Lily finds out that her old knight is getting replaced with someone new. But she never expected her new protector to make her feel like her world just got tilted off its axis.

Rating: 18+ only MDNI

Word Count: 2.4k

Tags: Yearning, pining, feelings, new introductions, age gap (Lily is 25, Joel is 40), Princess x Knight pairing, Lily is Princess of Ireland

Dividers by @saradika-graphics

 The countryside of Ireland slips into my peripheral view as I sit in front of the lavish mirrors of my rose-colored armoire. The glittering gold crown sitting atop my head reflects in the clear glass; my glossy pink lips and shiny eyeshadow dazzling against my bright green irises. I inhale deeply, drinking in the lush smell of clover and wildflowers that carry through my open balcony and brush through my long, strawberry blonde curls that lay smoothly against my shoulders. 

  My bedroom suite is filled with natural light that shines brightly over the marble flooring, making shadows dance against the pristine walls bathed in intricate, hand-painted flowers of every sort, fading into the silk tapestries that bleed the colors of cream and light pink. Rich jewel tones and luxurious fabrics fill the room, and my king-sized bed is draped in mesh hangings with silky sheets that feel like a bed of fresh roses. 

   My favorite place of all though is my open balcony. The one that overlooks the ocean and the never ending shades of green that cover the land. I love the scent of the saltwater, the wildflowers, the grass clippings that smell like fresh dew every morning. It’s just so peaceful. On my balcony, I can be someone else who’s not trying to impress the people of this land. I can just be me—the girl without a title, a princess that has no duties. I’m just another part of this beautiful land up here. Just another flower in the wind that carries me over the waves of the ocean.

   Home. I love Ireland, love how deep green and vibrant it always is. One of my favorite colors, my royal color that paints my closets in jewels and expensive gowns. Ones I wear on special occasions to display my pride and joy for my country. But mostly, I have to wear them because I’m royalty, a princess, the future queen of this land, and it’s my duty to make my parents proud. 

   I will be queen one day, but wait. There’s that sinking feeling humming in the pit of my stomach again. A sign that brings nausea rolling to the surface. I’m not sure if I’m quite ready to take on that role just yet. I’m only twenty-five, which is too old to still be searching for a husband, as my parents say. But I want to find love, not just a warm body that might smile at me a few times and give me a child. I want to be in love, but those dreams are far and few. That’s what daydreaming is for. My father and mother were in an arranged marriage, but they slowly fell in love after some time together.  

   But me? I’d like to fall in love like all the romance books I read. Slowly, achingly, until the yearning consumes me into flames. That’s how I want to fall. I shake my loose curls, sighing as I stare into the distance, letting the blue waves of the coast ground me back to reality. 

   I’m a princess, and the duty I have is whatever my parents deem next, which is marriage. Sometimes, I wish I wasn’t royalty at all…

   Just as I start to drift toward the balcony to get lost in the glow of the morning, my lady-in-waiting, Serena, comes barging through my double doors. “Princess, your father wants to see you in the main hall,” she says meekly, curtsying when she enters.

   “Must I go now?” I sigh. “I was just about to take my tea outside.”

   Serena smiles and waves toward the large doors. “He was pretty adamant about coming quickly. Said it was urgent.”

   Urgent? What could ever be so urgent that he’d interrupt my morning routine?

   “Oh, alright. Guess my tea and daydreaming will have to wait until later. Thank you, Serena.” She bows and leaves me alone to look once more into one of the lavish mirrors with gold stardusted along the edges as the sunlight kisses the gold pieces. 

   I fix my crown once more and turn around twice, making sure my royal dress is spotless and perfect for my grand entrance into the main hall. I don’t know what this is about, but it has to be important if they’re interrupting my morning rituals unannounced. What could be so bloody important that I have to rush off? Guess I’ll find out.

   Wrapping my hand carefully around the golden handle, I turn and step out into the winding shadows. I gasp when I see another knight in place of Christopher, my usual knight, or should I say bodyguard. “Oh, Sir James! I wasn’t expecting you.”

   “Sorry, My Lady. Was an unexpected rotation this morning.” He bows and lets his sharpened sword fall deeper into the sheath at his left side.

   “Where is Sir Christopher?” I ask with my eyebrows raised high.

   “His wife fell ill, I’m afraid. Can’t say how long he’ll be taking care of her, but that’s why I’m standing in his place today.” He shifts his weight and lets the silver armor clatter with every step he takes.

   “Oh, how dreadful. I’ll have to take them some flowers this week. Are you to be my new protector?” I smile and curtsey playfully. James can’t keep a straight face. He lets out a bellowing chuckle, and I giggle in response.

   “No, unfortunately not, My Lady. I’m just here in the meantime. The king put me here this morning, but he mentioned something about another knight taking over. But for now, I am at your service.” He bows cordially and smiles, his bright blue eyes crinkling with old age. “Well, off to the main hall, Princess. Your father is waiting.”

   “Alright, alright, I’m going,” I laugh as James trails after me in his suit of silver armor, his long blonde hair drawn back behind his shoulders in a ponytail as his full beard shows a hint of a smile. 

   I always saw James as a close uncle, not just a knight. He used to be the one to give me sword fighting lessons even when my father never approved. I wanted him to know I wasn't weak and fragile like a princess should be. I’m bold and brave and want to be able to take on any challenges that stand in my way. James always let me get away with things my father would never allow. He was my friend, and a friend was exactly what I needed in a castle that’s far too lonely for my liking.

   The long halls of the castle glisten with emerald green banners that sit pressed against the smooth grey stones that make up the walls of this palace. Archways that tower over me shine light through the twisting hallways,  making my light green dress shine against the silky fabric that sparkles in the sunlight. The mesh straps fall against my upper arms, leaving my sun-kissed shoulders bare as my corset style bodice clings to my chest, making my breasts nearly spill over the top. It’s not really the most comfortable dress, but it’s a beauty at best, and it makes my confidence shine every time I walk into a room with an audience. Father might not approve, but I was always a little rebellious growing up. Nothing’s changed about that.

   When I make it into the main hall and walk around the thresholds of the throne that’s plated in gold, I stop short when I notice a man. No, a knight, who’s standing in the middle of the floor with his hands clasped together. My eyes wander over his broad body, drinking in his rich brown eyes, glazing over his tousled brown locks that are streaked with silver strands. His shoulders are so broad—how does he even get his armor on? And his hands—big, thick like bear paws. But what catches me off guard the most is how soft his eyes look…

   I gulp down a breath and turn to my father when he speaks. “Lily, this is Joel Miller. He’s to be your new assigned knight.”

   My eyes flick back to him as he bows his head in service, creating butterflies in the pit of my stomach. And when he looks back up and sets his gaze on me, it feels like earthquakes thundering beneath my feet. 

   My mother, Queen Eliza O’Callaghan, gives me a quick smile, her auburn hair piled high in a bun with jewels splayed all around her strands. My father flicks his pale blue eyes at me, signaling me to take a step forward.

   Carefully, I take two steps forward, halting when my father unsheathes his sword and stops me dead in my tracks before taking a step down from the throne. “The oath needs to be taken,” my father murmurs lowly. So I step back and watch as my world slowly stills around me. 

   “Kneel,” my father commands. Joel doesn’t falter, not even hesitating when he falls to one knee, his head bowed. 

   My father puts the flat edge of the silver sword on top of Joel’s left shoulder and clears his deep throat. “Do you, Joel Miller, pledge your life to serve the crown?”

   “Yes,” he replies, his deep baritone drawl floating across the room. His accent. What is that accent? Not Irish, definitely not English. I can’t quite place it.

   “Do you swear to protect my daughter from any harm that may come her way?”

   “I swear it,” Joel confirms, his eyes flicking up to my father who’s standing in a deep green robe that reaches the threshold of the polished floor.

   “And do you promise to put her life before your own? To be completely loyal to the crown, uphold justice, and be nothing but honest to my family?”

   Joel tips his head again and nods, crossing a large arm over his heart. “I promise to serve with honor and dignity to the crown. Your daughter is safe with me.”

   Your daughter is safe with me. Something tugs in my chest at the words. Somehow, I have a feeling those words run deeper than their actual meaning.

   “Then I, King of Ireland, dub you the highest honor of my knights. You are now Lily’s one and only protector, until your days at the castle end.” He lifts the sharp-edged sword and holds it high in the air, reflecting sunlight off the thin edges. Then he sheathes it back in place, right next to his hip where a leather sword holder sits. 

   Joel stands up slowly, his brown eyes lathered in sunlight as he looks at me through hooded eyes. My throat feels dry, and it feels like I’ll fall over at any moment. Is it hot in here or is it just the way he seems to be looking at me—calm, collected, but searing flames into my eyes. 

   “Go on, Lily. Greet your knight,” my father says with a huff, my mother throwing me an encouraging smile.

   I nod and step forward, hiking my glitter green skirt above my ankles so I don’t trip climbing down the polished marble steps. My ears thrum with energy, my brain a bit fuzzy as I make my way down until I’m face to face with the most beautiful man I’ve ever laid eyes on.

   “Joel,” I say with a nervous smile, curtsying before him in greeting. He watches me slowly, his eyes flicking up and down my body with each movement I take, almost like he’s trying to memorize my features.

   Joel bows before me, his silver armor glistening through the massive floor to ceiling windows, sunlight sweeping over his glinting plates of steel. When he stands up, he carefully takes my hand in his and brings it slowly up to his mouth, caressing the top of my hand with a gentle skim of his plush lips. There’s no air in my lungs, no room for me to shutter out a response. My eyes are as wide as a full moon’s, my lips parted in awe as he looks up through thick eyelashes, the deep browns in his eyes swimming with onyx orbs.

   “Princess,” he says in a husky voice as he drops my hand back to my side, but his gorgeous brown eyes never leave mine. He just stares, just like I do, both lost in a glazed fog. 

   Is this what love at first sight feels like? Or is this just infatuation? I can’t tell between the two because I’ve never been in love—only ever read how it goes in my books. But this feels like the earth’s tilting on its axis, storms gathering in the distance offshore. Something catastrophic is coming, but I can’t see what. The only thing I’m remotely able to see right now is those big pools of brown gazing back at me with as much intensity as I’m giving him. 

   My father’s booming voice breaks the spell, and I’m sucked back into the real world. “I trust you’ll take good care of my daughter?” he asks in a vindictive tone, his smoky eyes honed in on Joel as if to send a clear message. He may be fair and kind to the people of this land, but I know if anyone does even one thing to upset him, he’ll bring wrath down like a lightning storm. I’ve learned that the hard way. 

   Joel nods, his mouth in a tight line. “She’ll be in good hands. You can trust me. I swear on my life.” My breath catches as he gazes over at me, nervous jostling through my bones.

   My father’s eyes soften, and he nods in approval, happy with Joel’s answer. “Follow me, then. I’ll show you where you’ll be staying.” 

   With one more flicker of a glance my way, he pulls on a small smile and follows after my father, down the corridor where my previous guard slept. And when he’s out of sight, I can suddenly breathe again. Letting a breath of fresh air enter my lungs, I lean against one of the stone statues and rake a hand through my light curls, gathering my wits about up. 

   Closing my eyes, I focus on deep breaths and clearing my mind, but I can’t seem to see anything but those deep brown eyes and sculpted jaw. 

   Groaning, I pull myself back up and let out a whine. This is great. I have a crush on the man that’s now my knight in shining armor. And he’s completely off-limits. Princesses can’t be involved with knights. That’s high treason. My father would have his head. 

   God. What am I going to do? I guess the only logical thing I can think of is to distract myself. Yes, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll stray anywhere he’s not and ignore his existence. But it won’t be that easy, will it? Of course it won’t. 

   I’m royally sunk. 

[optimisticgrey]

"Nature has been most kind to let me share in your heart"

virtual library | playlist | ao3 |

picture by @vaelastormreaver

introduction: This is part of Echoes of the Thread, a series that describes the story from a readers POV who has previously lived through the events of Baldur's Gate 3 and remembers everything but has failed.

summary: You have done all of this before and made it Baldur's Gate again. The one thing you can never control though: if Halsin falls in love with you.

author's note: Echoes of the Thread has been voted as a Gale romance story and I will adhere to it. But I have rewritten this chapter multiple times over the past months and its important to me. I think it will add nicely to the story. If you are following it, this takes place somewhere between Chapter 19 and 20.

content warning: recreational drug use (alcohol), past trauma and torture mentioned, a lot of self-loathing

taglist: @whiskeyskin because you like a good cry😁🫶

word count: 4,7k

AO3 Link

When you wake with a slight headache the next day, Yenna is gone.

You are ashamed of the relief flooding you. Ashamed how relieved you are that it’s just her.

You know you cannot voice this to anyone but you take a moment to yourself, pretending to sort your bag as you force back the sobs.

Not Lae’zel.

Not Gale.

Not Halsin.

They are still with you.

There is a chance you will get it right this time.

You dry your eyes and face the others to start the day, your mind heavy with guilt, sorrow and all the things you cannot voice to them. No matter how deeply you wish to.

It takes several days to set everything in motion, to ensure Yenna’s safety can truly be secured. By the time you return to the temple of Bhaal, your stomach is already churning, dread knotting tighter with every step. The memories slam into you; vivid and merciless.

This was where you failed.

You keep your eyes forward, refusing to glance at the places where it all went wrong. You swallow down the panic clawing its way up your throat, bury your fear deep beneath the resolve you have built, however fragile.

And somehow you succeed. You are not entirely certain how.

You kill Orin.

You free the girl.

She throws her arms around you, clinging tightly, small fingers digging into your clothes. You hold her close, arms wrapped around her protectively, trying not to tremble.

You offer to carry her back to camp. But she shakes her head with a wide grin, her eyes bright despite it all.

In the evening, announce you are leaving for a moment to think and no one objects.

Walking out of camp, you stroll the outer city for a while, trying to sort your thoughts. In the end, you find a quiet balcony above the Chionthar and sit down on it. The house seems to be abandoned and you cannot blame its inhabitants.

This is a strange time to live in Baldur’s Gate.

Your arms fold over the railing, your chin resting against them. The tension bleeds from you, slow as water drawn away by Shadowheart’s hand.

It has been, what? Months? Years? You don’t know anymore.

For the first time since this all started, you allow yourself to cry.

For yourself. But mostly for all of them.

Shadowheart. She trust you, again.

She is not aware how profoundly you failed her when the Shar priestess slayed you all and her lost words were surprise and the recognition of your failure.

You decided to side with Orpheus this time, making Lae’zel an outcast. You are still not sure how to feel about this.

You are thankful, Ulder Ravenguard is safe and Wyll had his redemption and reunion with his father.

You killed Cazador, freeing Astarion from two centuries of torture and abuse.

You are still hoping there is a solution for Karlach’s heart although Dammon was unable to help any further.

You helped Gale leaving Mystra behind and still hope you can talk him out of his obsession about the crown.

There might be a life for you, after all of this.

If you can finally get it right once.

Your face is wet with tears when the first sob breaks through the silence, only underlying rushing of the Chionthar below.

There will be a life.  A real life not a constant repetition of things you already know and have done before.

You will get out of this.

You will get it right.

You will get to live.

In safety.

Without this hope, you become aware, you’d given up a very long time ago.

If there is no end to this, all these repetitions, the fighting, the worry and sorrow, all this fear…..what is even the point?

Continue on AO3

[batsycline69]

Chapter Two: Night & Day

Summary: Jason's night doesn't go as planned. As a result, neither does yours.

Pairing: Jason Todd x GN!Reader

Words: 4,365

Content/warnings: profanity, canon-typical violence, mentions of blood

SERIES MASTERPOST

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Jason wakes in a sweat.

He’s had this dream before; his body throbs, slick and sticky with blood. Each hit of the crowbar jerks his body.

He pushes himself up from the bed, his feet meeting the cold wood floors beneath him. He huffs, his head falling in his hands as he slumps towards his knees.

There’s no blood. Hell, there aren’t even the scars to prove what he went through anymore. It’s just Jason trapped in his own mind. The laughter echoes in his ears long after he wakes up, but the pain eventually fades into the back of his mind, a lingering nagging as he tries to grip onto reality and find something to distract himself.

Lines of light fall across the floor from the streetlamps pouring in through the venetian blinds. He’s been meaning to get curtains. He feels too exposed, even if the blinds are always shut.

When he was first resurrected, there were only so many memories he had to comfort himself with. Anything from his life with Bruce was immediately off limits, so he usually sought out Talia. The comfort she’d managed to offer him after all of that just by showing a little kindness.

A few days ago, he met you. You’d been kind to him too.

He told you to just call a ride instead of taking the train. He knew what happened in this neighborhood at that time of night. But you didn’t listen.

Jason knew you weren’t going to get onto that train without a hitch. He chose following you over the stupid drug bust. He figured there’d be time to take care of them later. He’d been right, of course, but after that, he froze.

You hadn’t been intimidated by him at the shop. But you’d seen him—the real him—and flinched. Not that he can blame you. It was a hell of an introduction on his part, barrel of his gun up against some guy’s head. In a city like Gotham? God, he could have been any creep.

But he’s him. He’s the same he’d been at the shop, but you don’t know that. And you can’t.

That doesn’t stop him from thinking of you. As he wakes from his nightmare, you’re there, and he’s not entirely sure why. Maybe because your kindness is so straightforward. It’s not shrouded by trauma and odd gestures meant to translate to kindness. You talked with him, laughed with him. You got him food that you insisted he eat.

You’re better off without him. There’s a natural path for the two of you to never see each other again. It’s more work to not lose contact with you. Even with every part of him saying no, Jason makes the effort.

How’s your tattoo healing?

It’s still dark out, but it’s nearing 6 am now. As he sends the email, he hopes you get the idea he’s some sort of early riser. Maybe you think he’s less of a mess than he is. He’d let you think that, if you wanted to.

Part of him also worries about you. Not in some wild way, but after your close call with the guys at the train station, he doesn’t want you to be scarred for life. That may be overdramatic, but the point remains. That’s normal shit for him, but that’s not something you signed up for. That’s just the bi-product of living in Gotham.

His body collapses back into bed in a heap, his breath finally evening out. He’ll try to fall back asleep for at least an hour before he realizes it’s probably hopeless and gets up.

Mornings like this, he cooks. It passes the time. Dealers aren’t making deals this early. The shop doesn’t open until ten, but he sure as shit doesn’t want to be sitting around dwelling in his thoughts for longer than necessary.

So when Jason finally rises out of bed, he goes to the kitchen. He pulls out eggs and bread. Bacon, tomatoes, and cheese. Good salt, the salt that costs extra. He doesn’t have a lot of good these days, so he takes it where he can.

The Gotham underworld is lucrative, no surprise there. Jason has access to things he never would have as a kid. The sort of stuff he was introduced to at Wayne Manor. Except now Jason has them on his own terms. He didn’t need Bruce for it.

Bacon is on the stove sizzling as Jason’s old coffee machine gurgles. He’ll drink most of the pot by the time the sun rises. By now, there’s enough for him to focus on that he can push the dream to the back of his mind. He doesn’t need to think about the past. That’s why he has his plans. He has a future to look forward to. And if he has to be alive again, he’s going to make something of it.

Just the light above the stove is on. Jason likes the dark. Old habits and all that.

He fries up an egg until the ends get crispy. Toast, egg, sharp cheddar, bacon, and hot sauce. He takes a mug of coffee and his sandwich over to the small table up against the window and watches as the city wakes up.

It’s the most normal his day is going to look. These moments where his brain isn’t completely fixed on the job. He’s not trying to parse through whatever lying scumbag is coming into the shop. There’s no blood. It’s quiet.

The quiet is nice until it isn’t. Until it’s too quiet, and there’s nothing besides the quiet.

When he woke up, buried six feet under, it had been quiet. Except for his breathing. The claustrophobic weight. The crushing weight of the dirt as it pressed against him, as he fought to the surface.

You reply while he’s out taking his smoke break.

The tattoo itches, but it looks good, you say. I’ll send a picture once it’s healed.

His second appointment of the day, the one he goes to after he sees your email, is the type he usually sees. Some asshole that wants a skull on his arm to prove he’s tough. Someone who definitely isn’t you. But it’s not his place to wish it was. He feels ridiculous being so attached to you like a lost little puppy.

He wants to think of an excuse to see you again, but his mind is blank. Can’t just lure you to a dark alley for a chat like the people he’s normally trying to get in touch with. Yet again, just trying to be a regular person, he falls short. He doesn’t know how to navigate this. He spent the years he was supposed to figure this shit out in a box beneath the earth. As much as Talia taught him when he came back, he didn’t get flirting lessons.

There’s so much he doesn’t know about you. Sure, he could dig around and fight out a thing or two. That’s what Bruce would do, but he’s not Bruce. He doesn’t want to do that with you. He wants to just be Jason in your eyes, so that means keeping Red Hood as far away from you as possible.

Are you taking care of it?

It’s not flirting. It’s not smooth, either, but it does keep the conversation going.

During his next appointment, he has to push you to the back of his mind. The guy ends up being a small-time dealer. A guy who works for a guy who works for a guy sort of dealer. His license was scanned when he came in for the tattoo, and that means Jason has his address. There’s a lot he can learn from a license, assuming it’s real. Lucky for Jason, the dealer wasn’t smart enough to use a fake. Now he’s got a new lead, more heads to bust.

After the shop closes, he goes home. As he’s researching, he gets another response.

Yeah, I’ve been going swimming every day and using dish soap to keep it clean just like you said.

He smirks. You’re a smart-ass. That’s part of what he likes about you.

As he eats the leftover fried rice he heated up to the light of his laptop, he thinks about your appointment. The way you’d laughed over your dinner. The mischievous look in your eye as you teased him. He wished he had paid closer attention to that look because when he thought of you now, he saw that look of fear. That look directed at him. Guilt sat heavy in his chest because of it. You couldn’t trust him when he said he wasn’t going to hurt you. It was a good instinct. As much as it hurt, he wasn’t going to blame you for it.

Tonight, he’s going to kill. Becoming a crime lord isn’t pretty work, but he’s not about to shy away from it. If he has to spill blood, that’s what he’ll do. But he isn’t willing to risk that colliding into his memories of you either.

You’re separate from all of this.

Jason doesn’t regret being there for you at the train station. How could he? But at the same time, now you know, and that’s a liability. He doesn’t think you’d go around asking everyone, but he also doesn’t know you, and that fact remains even when his mind runs away from him to focus on your skin. Sure, Jason’s got the training to be able to read someone, but he’s not one to get too comfortable about such things.

This whole thing is still new. It’s precarious. Jason’s been back in Gotham weeks. There’s still plenty to be done, and he doesn’t need to be distracted.

Jason’s night doesn’t go as planned.

The dealers he’d been meeting with had gotten sloppy. A crew that got way too comfortable talking about sales in public. Batman got wind of it, but Jason was one step ahead. He got out minutes before Bruce arrived, and he didn’t leave anyone left alive to talk to. It’s messier than he’d like, but he doesn’t leave evidence. Whatever trail Bruce has picked up through them will run cold.

Just when he thinks he gets away without a hitch, he runs into the boss of the men unlucky enough to cross his path. He gets a shot in, but not before the boss grazed his thigh with a bullet. It bleeds, but it doesn’t go deep. Still, he can’t ignore it. He takes shelter in a residential area. He can keep a lower profile here if Batman is in the neighborhood, so he finds a dark alley to lick his wounds. He steams over how much carelessness has set him back, when a door slamming breaks his concentration.

And there you are.

You don’t see him in the darkness. You’ve got a bag of garbage in your hand heading towards the dumpster just a few feet away from where his back is pressed against the wall. It’s only a matter of time you see the faint glow from his mask, and he’ll see that same startled look on your face. He doesn’t want you to look at him in fear again.

The bag of trash clamors into the dumpster as you toss it in. You turn over your shoulder and freeze at the sight of someone standing just out of sight. And there’s that look. That same startled, caught in headlights look that’s been haunting him since he left you at the train station. He can’t stand it. So he raises his free hand and gives a small wave.

“Just me,” he says.

Recognition crosses your eyes as you fully find him in the shadows. “Oh,” you say, the sound getting drowned out by the light rain falling. Unconsciously—at least, he hopes—you take a half step away from him.

Yeah, maybe Jason should have thought this through a little more. So careful when he’s making his big plans, but all of the sudden, with you, he’s got his foot in his mouth and his brain where it shouldn’t be. Last you ran into him, he had been hidden out of sight, appearing suddenly to come to your rescue. And maybe doing the same thing outside where you presumably live isn’t a good look.

He should have gone on a rooftop somewhere.

“I was in the neighborhood,” he says.

It’s not a lie, but it’s not like the full version of the truth would offer you any comfort. I don’t think you’d like to hear that he’s on the run from Batman for killing a few guys. But is you potentially thinking he’s stalking you any better?

Your body is still rigid, hands stuffed deep in the pockets of your coat. “What are you doing down there?”

He wonders if you’ve got your pepper spray on him. You’d know better than to use it against him from your first run-in, but maybe you’re holding it now as a comfort. He’s not going to humor himself by believing you trust him. Even if he knows you’re safe with him, you don’t.

“Seemed like a good spot for a rest,” he replies.

The shadows across your face make it hard for him to really see where you’re looking, but he sees your back stiffen.

“Is that blood?” you ask, and now he’s sure your eyes are on his leg, fixed to the spot he was grazed. The concern is evident in your voice. Your eyes grow wide, and Jason all but sees the internal spiral happening on your face.

“Don’t worry, it’s mine,” he replies.

You stand, open-mouthed for a moment, the features of your face twisting further into confusion and worry. “Don’t worry?” you ask in disbelief. Your voice pitches slightly.

“Relax, it’s just a bullet graze. I’m fine.”

A moment of silence passes. Jason waits for the bleeding to slow a little. But once time passes without any sort of response from you, he looks up to catch your eyes wide in disbelief. Which is probably fair. At best, he sounds like an asshole being so casual about something like that. Sure, it’s Gotham, but even that’s a little much. Your obviously freaked out, and here he is acting cavalier.

Jason nods once. “Sorry. The people I’m usually around don’t get bothered about that sort of thing.”

You nod once, your arms crossing over your chest. “I bet.”

God, this is such a mess.

Your eyes flicker up from his wounded leg to the glowing white space where his eyes are beneath his helmet. Jason wishes so desperately to know what’s going on in your head. Do you see him as some sort of monster? Is there any bit of Jason you see beneath the helmet, even if you can’t actually know it’s him? Or has he blown all of this?

“Are you...okay?” you ask.

“I’ll be fine,” he says. “You don’t have to worry about me.” He thinks it’s silly you would in the first place. People have never worried about Jason; he’s perfectly capable of taking care of himself. You shouldn’t be the first one to take on the hopeless task of worrying for him, especially not over some graze. Especially not some graze relative to all of the other things that’s happened to him.

If this is what happens when he a bullet grazes his leg, he can’t imagine what you’d think of everything else.

“So...what’s your deal?” you ask cautiously.

“My deal?” Jason replies, even though he knows exactly what you’re asking.

“Yeah. I mean...what kind of guy in a mask are you?”

There’s a rough, modulated laugh from behind the helmet. “Well, I scared off those guys the other night, didn’t I? What kind of guy does that make me?”

“You scared them off with a gun.”

“And? They didn’t hurt you either way, right?” Maybe there was no room for you to see anything in Red Hood, and maybe he was foolish to think otherwise. He wonders if that still leaves any hope for you and Jason.

“And you conveniently are in the same place as me at the same time. I’m not sure what to make of that.”

“So you think I’m stalking you, huh?” he asks with a light laugh.

“I don’t see how that’s funny,” you reply.

You don’t trust him. There’s no hesitancy to voice your skepticism. He has to admire you just a little bit, even if it is a stupid idea to be arguing with the guy you know is carrying a gun. Now he’s the one who’s going to start worrying about you, as if that wasn’t already the case.

“You live in a shitty neighborhood. You’re gonna see guys in masks around here.”

“It’s Gotham. Most of the neighborhoods are shitty. Are you always this evasive?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

There’s a pause as you look him over carefully. Even if you don’t trust him, Jason doesn’t want that to be the case. He wants you to believe that he’s not a threat to you. Not on purpose, at least. He showed up at the train station because the thought of those guys laying a single hand on you made his stomach roll.

He wants you to trust him now like you had trusted him with your skin.

“Listen, I was working in the area. Swear to god, it was a coincidence. I needed someplace quiet to patch up. I didn’t know you were here.”

You don’t seem totally pleased with the answer, but he can tell you could maybe eventually buy it. Again, you watch him carefully for a minute. Gotham is singing her usual song around you, sirens and rain hitting the rooftops. Somewhere a few blocks away, Jason swears he can make out a fight.

“Are you blinking under there?” you ask, sounding a little unnerved by the constant glowing where he can see what’s going on.

He laughs lightly. “Yeah, I’m blinking under here.”

“I tried to thank you the other day, but you were gone already,” you finally say. “So, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Jason replies, even though he had heard it. When you were focused on the train rolling in, he’d slipped back into the shadows, waiting until the sounds of the train had long died down just to be sure there wasn’t anything else that was going to interrupt your trip home.

There’s another beat before he speaks again. “So are you okay?”

You look at him, slightly surprised. “Yeah, I’m fine,” you say. “Just glad you were there when you were.”

Jason nods. “Yeah, me too.”

“Are you okay?” you ask, your eye darting nervously back to his leg.

“I already told you, I’m fine.”

Your weight shifts. You’re hesitating, still not ready to accept his answer. “Do you...need anything?”

He wants to tell you not to offer help to guys like him. You’re being too nice, and not every guy is going to be like him. Maybe he’s just flattering himself, but he gets the idea this isn’t a universal openness. You’re testing the waters, weighing everything he says and does. He thinks about how you must be putting together one hell of a pros and cons list in your head right now.

Jason imagines what would happen if he said yes; maybe you would scurry up to your apartment. You would come back with three towels even if you thought he only needed one. You’d get him water or some food to keep his energy up. What would you bring out to share with the stranger who has a gun?

But Jason shakes his head. “I’m all set,” he replies. “Jacket’s got a lot of pockets.”

Thunder cracks overhead. You startle from the sound, gaze turning towards the sky as rain starts falling down harder around you both. With Jason’s helmet on, he’s not much bothered beyond the drops blurring his vision slightly, but you’re exposed.

“You should get inside,” Jason says, nudging his head back towards the door you came out of.

And, of course, you pause. He sees the way your eyes flicker nervously to his wound.

Jason shakes his head. “Don’t do it,” he says.

“Don’t do what?” you ask indigently.

“Invite me in to be polite and all that.”

You scoff. “Invite you in? Are you kidding me? You’ve given me next to no information about yourself. You’ve openly admitted you hang out with people who aren’t phased by getting shot--”

“’Hang out’ is an overstatement--”

“I am not inviting you up to my apartment. I’m sure you have dangerous friends you can stay with.”

With the helmet, you can’t see, but Jason smirks. You are warming up to him. The you from the shop is getting pulled out little by little. He’s glad to see you again.

When he doesn’t respond, you turn towards the door a little. “Well...good luck with your leg,” you say, fishing through your coat pockets. The movement picks up a little more, followed by a soft curse under your breath.

“Locked out?” Jason asks. He doesn’t bother to hide the pleased tone in his voice.

“I left my keys inside,” you grumble.

Jason rises to his feet, careful to stay off his wounded leg as much as possible. “Bummer,” he says. “Want me to pick the lock?”

You turn back over your shoulder, looking like you’re trying to suss out whether he’s joking or not. With the helmet on, he’s sure it’s hard to tell.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he reminds you. “Just gonna get the door open for you, and then I’m out of here. Promise.”

A bright flash of lightning illuminates your face, and you nod. “Okay.”

You take a step back from the door, letting him at the lock, gnawing on your lips nervously. “What if someone catches you?”

“I’m not worried about it,” he replies.

“And if someone catches me with you and I get evicted? I’m a little worried about that.”

“I get I’m not exactly at the top of the list of trustworthy individuals, but I’m going to need a little more confidence from you.”

There’s a crash of thunder. The rain gets even just a little bit heavier as Jason fiddles with the lock until it opens. It only takes him a few seconds, but you don’t comment on it. He’s not sure if it’s because you’re not surprised he can do it that quickly or because you’re exhausted with everything you’ve learned about him in the past few minutes.

You look at the open door, then back at him. “Thank you,” you say. It’s a little reserved, but he sees the echoes of you sitting in his station at the shop. A hint that maybe his chances aren’t so doomed as he worried.

“You’re welcome. Stay out of trouble.”

One last time, your gaze drops down to his thigh before looking back up. “You too,” you reply, letting the door slam shut behind you.

He should take this as his sign to leave, but he lingers a minute. It’s long enough for him to just barely hear a window slide open overhead.

Above him, he sees your head peek out over the ledge of your fire escape. Your building has the old kind, the wooden ones that are without a doubt a safety hazard. When you see him looking up at you, you quickly disappear out of sight again. The shyness is a little endearing, he has to admit. Not that he’s been doing a great job fighting it to begin with.

He can’t tell what you’re doing, but he knows you’re still out there. The top level is about as tall as the tracks above him. You live close to the station. That makes him feel a little bit better about your trip home after your tattoo. At least the time you were exposed to more trouble was cut down because of that.

There’s a little movement up on the fire escape. You hang something off the edge, but he can’t quite make out what. He sees the top of your head as you climb back through your window, and then the faint glow coming from your window goes dark.

Jason waits one second longer, trying to decide whether he’s meant to see what you’ve left him or not. He decides he is, and makes the trek up the rickety ladder. Some steps give a little from rot. Even if his leg isn’t wounded too badly, he does feel it each of the steps up. He wonders if you left everything up on the fourth floor where you live to spite him for being so nonchalant about getting hit.

When he finally makes it up to where you’ve left him a surprise, he sees your curtains are drawn shut. There’s no sliver of light peeking through. He wonders if you turned the lights off so he couldn’t see you trying to stay hidden while getting a look at him.

Hung over the railing is an umbrella. One he knows you didn’t have with you when you were out with him. You put it out here for him, even with his helmet on. Maybe as a thank you for helping you inside. Maybe as a way of toeing the line of you saying you won’t invite him in.

He could be anyone, but you gave away where you lived. He’d done enough for you to trust he wasn’t going to take advantage of this knowledge. But as the rain starts to get a little harder, he leans up against the brick of your building and opens up the umbrella. He can keep his leg dry until the rain lets up, at least.

Sitting out of the rain in the safety of your rickety fire escape, Jason makes the decision he’s going to ask you out for a drink tomorrow morning. Not him, Red Hood, but the tattoo artist. He knows for certain he’s not going to be able to keep you off his mind now.

He hopes tonight, he dreams of you.

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[solar4seekstron]

Before and So Forth Chapter Two: Megatronus

TransformersOne!Megatronus x Cybertronian!GN!Reader(Bit of Starscream x reader-kinda)

Solars Indie Series

Chapter One, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five, Chapter Six, Chapter Seven, Chapter Eight

Introduction Indie Series

Content: 18+

TW/Tags: Smut, HUGE Size differences, Reader gets hurt, Starscream is worried, Megatronus and Solus are fighting, Long aft chapter again.

Note: In the lore of transformers prime Solus is in a sort of Poly like relationship with the other primes and although she loves and cares for Megatronus as well she doesn’t seem to really pick him or the others if that makes sense. Thought it would be interesting to add that here and Megatronus choose he’ll court the reader. As for Starscream his feelings toawrds reader will become more and more clear as the story continues and eventually the reader will accept it after the primes deaths. There’ll be more at the end of the post to explain.

As always I hope you all enjoy and be sure to read the text after the story. Smut will be in purple in case you’re uncomfortable with the smut parts.

(Just like the first one this one will be as long as well.

You made your way to the lunch area with the other High Guards. Passing by some cone heads and seekers.

You did your best to remain calm as you walked. As you continued, you thought about your mission. Where you’ll be going to the surface to keep an eye out for Quintessons. Something you offered to join in order to be a little more useful…

You were deep in your thoughts when you bumped into a chest. You looked up and see it’s Soundwave- “Soundwave! Sir. My apologies I uhh…-w-well you see I-“

“Have you eaten today?” You think for a moment putting a finger to your chin as you look down…”…….This morning?” ………….”Training….. keeping me busy?”

You could swear just by your own gut feeling Soundwave was frowning and before you knew it he was grabbing your cervo and dragging you to the lunch room.

He and Shockwave along with Starscream had their own little area being one of the strongest members of the high guard. As you both got there Shockwave was staring at his energon bowel..…analyzing it?

And starscream was eating as he saw Rumble and Frenzy messed around as they ate theirs like wild animals.

Ravage was eating out of a bowel right next to Shockwave. Shockwave looked over at her and slowly moves the arm that doesn’t have a cervo towards her.

Rumble next to Ravage, on the other side notices and smacks Shockwaves arm. His one optic squinting down at him.

As you and Soundwave get there he sat you on his seat and puts a few energon cubes in front of you. “Eat.” “Soundwave-“ “Eat.” You sigh and start eating the cubes as he stares down at you.

Soundwave then sits across from you picking up Ravage like a kitten as her snout never leaves the bowel and sits down.

Setting her on his lap. As you ate you can feel Starscreams eyes on you. Given that you did just disappear while he was training the others. You can also tell Soundwave was glaring at you .

He was always so strict with you and a few other Guards about eating enough in order to do our job. Shockwave was side-eyeing Soundwave. Then looks at you then back at him.

After he then looked down at his bowel and back at you then Soundwave.

Rumble sighs and was the first to speak. “Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Soundwave can we go on Y/Ns mission?” “No”

”Told you he’d say no.” Frenzy says. Laserbeak resting on his head sleeping. Rumble grumbles and finishes his energon cubes getting down and walking away. “Rumble Return at once.” “No!”

”Soundwave, we're just going to fly around in search for any Quintessons signal. Make sure they’re nowhere close to us, you know?” You try to say to Soundwave seeing Rumble’s upset. soundwave stares down at you. You finally finished your energon cubes.

Soundwave only stares at you and lets out what sounds like a sigh. Looking down at Ravage and Frenzy.

Frenzy just shrugged and Ravage went back licking her paws. Shockwave slowly blinks his one optic as he finally finishes his energon soup. Soundwave sighs and comms Rumble

“Mission with Y/N: Accepted” Rumbles cheers and Yes’s can be heard from his comm and not too afar from them as Soundwave stays still.

You chuckle a bit as rumble returns and jumps onto your lap. Ignoring the glares of Starscream, Shockwave, and Soundwave.

He starts asking you about the mission. You check the time and see you leave in 10. You let Rumble know and you both make your way to the other seekers you’ll be joining.

Rumble runs off ahead of you as you continue to walk.

You then feel a hand grab your arms and pull you back. You back hitting the chest of someone- still taller than you. You turn your head to look up. It was Starscream.

”You really think you can walk away without apologizing? We were suppose to train and another thing I-“

You just rolled your eyes and gently pulled your arms away from his grasp and look at him. “Screamer we train every morning and one of the Primes decided to have his training today. I can’t say no.”

Starscream stared at you and let out a bit of a growl and takes a step forward. “One, don’t call me screamer. Two, I don’t care you ditched me! And three! Which Prime?”

”Uhh……Megatronus.” You say with a small smile. Starscream only stared down at you as he then sighs and gently holds your hands as he continues to look at you.

“I don’t like the way that Prime looks at you. Every time we fight we are able to escape. He seems to just stare at you with this look.”

Here you start to panic a bit as he speaks. Maybe you should tell him what Megatronus did. Maybe you can trust him?

But as you looked up at him you can see the sadness in his eyes makes your spark almost feel pity.

”I may be just a part of the high guard but those Prime should know their place as well.”l

He sets his hands on your waist and gently pulls you closer gripping a bit tightly as he speaks. You soon realize what was going on and you were quick to come up with something.

You knew you had to stop him, not to mention you had to leave soon.

”Starscream I really must get going. Let’s talk later shall we?” You gently hug him, your chin on his shoulder. He kept his hands on your waist for a moment longer until you pulled away.

“We can train together in the morning alright?” He stays quiet for a moment and then nods.

Letting you go. You walk to catch up with rumble meeting up with him and the others. Starscream was still standing there as he looked down at his hands.

Unaware of Sentinel watching from deeper in the halls.

Once you were there you chatted and apologized for being almost late. Then transformed. Rumble hopping on top and hanging on tightly to you.

You and the other guards with you then fly up to the surface. As you flew, Megatronus from the room meeting with the other primes, watched you as you left. He was currently in a meeting with a few of the other primes.

Solus is also there. She notices him watching the guards leaving and almost frowns. Megatronus then returned to the meeting. Taking his seat next to Solus.

———————————————————————————

After many hours since going into your little patrol the sun was slowly setting. You and the others keep flying as Rumbles' grip slowly gets loose. You make sure to remind rumble that he has to hang on tightly.

It requires that you move fast in case of attack. After some time you and the others take a small break and hide in an abandon city. safely.

Hidden you decide to look at the lost city for a bit. walking around it alongside some deer robots. Your mind starts to think as Rumble and the others stay together.

After some time your mind wondered. The rumor of Megatronus and Solus prime. How he must have implied that he wasn’t courting Solus but…. He…wanted to court you..Why?

You and many others seen how she looks at him. But you were certain he must’ve had feelings for her at least once as well. Not to mention the whole situation with Starscream.

You began to worry. Your spark only starting to feel pain because of your confusion and lost of what’ll happen.

But as you continue you would stop as you feel something poking and grabbing at your leg. you looked down and it’s- IT’S A QUINTISSON!!- but- smaller.

Almost deformed in a way. You almost took sympathy at first as it whimpered and crawled closer to you. But then it launched at you, holding you back with your hands and arms. It keeps slashing at you. But then it gets a good scratch at you face.

You screamed in pain as you finally get a chance to blast it away. Then you get to it and stab it repeatedly until it stopped moving. You were out of breath given you were caught of guard and had to think fast.

You held you cheek feeling the energon and pain on your eye brow and cheek. That thing really got a good hit on you.

You made your way to the others as my talked and messed around. Rumble having a good time as the others laughed.

You still kept your hand on your cheek and your other hand as a blaster as you ran to them.

”Weapons ready! Possible Quintessons!! The others hear you and get their weapons ready. You all searched around the city separated. As Rumble and another seeker stays with you.

Rumble was able to patch and clean you up thanks to a medical kit the other seeker brought with them. After some time you all can confirm it was just the small one.

Most likely being left behind. You all decide to continue your mission. You told Rumble you will handle explaining what happened. What’s important is he’s safe.

And so forth you and the other seekers continue to fly in the air, Rumble with you again as the sun finally sets.

Once upon returning you knew you were in for it.

Making it into the surface unfollowed you and the others landed at the front of the tower.

You all then walk in some other guards noticing you new scar. You made your way to the medical bay as Rumble says his byes and heads to Soundwave. As you spoke to the nurse after a few minutes you door bangs wide open showing Soundwave.

He was beyond upset and told the nurse to leave. Once they were gone he really laid it into you. Not for Rumble possibly getting into danger. No.

Because you weren’t more careful and now although not huge.

You have. Scar on your eye brow and cheek. Your cheek wound being much deeper. When you thought of thinking of making a little snarky comment to lighten up the mood.

He already knew and told you to not even try it. You looked down and just waited for him to finish.

You’d then feel a hand on your shoulder. As you looked up he was staring down at you. “Always close to the ones you trust Y/N otherwise your future will have consequences…Understood?”

You slowly nodded.

He then left after that. You sighed exhausted and as you walked out and started heading to the training room.

Something you did every night before heading to recharge, you didn’t expect to see starscream in there, training by himself. As you walked in you greeted him which surprised him as he was in the middle of a move.

“Sorry ‘bout that Starscream.”

He groaned and once he stood up. When he saw you he dropped his weapon. Making his way to you and putting his cervos on your shoulder as he looked at your scar.

”What the hell happened to you?! Didn’t you say long ago you would always be careful?! You could’ve gotten hurt more you idiot!”

You only look at him as he complained and just smiled. You soft smile you can only rarely do as he continues on. But once he sees your smile. “Starscream…I’m alive ain’t I?”

He stays quiet for a moment as he takes in your words. He’d sigh and look away for a moment.

His eyes then close and his cervos on your shoulders tighten a bit. “Go recharge Y/N……”

”Starscream-“

”That’s an order…And we both will be training early tomorrow morning, understand?”

“….Yes sir.” You’d then turn and leave walking out of the room. Starscream stays in there as his cervos clenched out of anger.

You were almost out of the building until you got an idea. Then as you thought, you walked to Megatronus' private quarters. The one place he must be at now….

Yes, your feelings towards Megatronus are true but so was with Starscream. Both in plain view, obviously it woul work. Starscream you’re not sure of.

But for Megatronus to kiss you and Starscream showing even more affection than before!…..You are always on the job and…and…Megatronus..should be with someone of his rank. Not you.

Starscream may seem as a possibility- but No! You have to discipline yourself. Not to be used by a Prime.

You will speak to Megatronus and stand your ground.

Even if it means you’re no longer part of the high guard. You must put yourself first.

———————————————————————————

As you got to his door you could hear voices from the other side. It was Megatronus and Solus arguing. As you get closer you’re able to hear them better. You continue to listen.

The other Primes shouldn’t be back for another few cycles. You stay at the hall higher in up your Audio Sensors.

Ok if they start doing it then you’ll leave but what if it has to do with the rumor. Maybe he lied and it was real?

”I have lost interest Solus you said it yourself! Not only was my courtship on hold for so long but you wish for me to just except your feelings for another for the millionth time?

Am I to believe you can still have such feelings for me as you do for the others. I’ve waited. I’m Done!”

”If you really cared then you would’ve try harder-“

“Harder? HARDER!? You don’t even know what you want and you’re just dragging me and the others with you into your black whole! I’ve moved on. I don’t need this and I don’t need you!”

Solus just stares up at him. Her face full off anger as he stares down at her.

”You’ll come back..you always do.” She then walks past him finally leaving the room. She walks the opposite direction from where you are.

She can be heard crying a bit from afar and you just peek from the wall from the hall. You grow even more worried.

Has this been happening? Did he try courting her before? Wait- HAS SHE BEEN FRAGGING THE OTHER PRIMES!? You swear you almost feel nauseous at the thought of this just going on.

Once it seemed the coast was clear you made your way to the door after it was shut. You’d then gently knock on his door.

Pretty much regretting it as you grow nervous but you know you must do this.

Though what you didn’t know is on the other side of the door he was losing in on the other side of the door.

After waiting and waiting for her. She still makes him wait as she flirts with the others. He then threw his berth up in the air, hitting the ceiling and throwing his data pads around.

You gulped and knocked again as you say in a whisper “Please don’t kill meee-“

”If you don’t leave I-“ He yelled as the door finally happened, only look at no one. He looks around. You had to clear your throat in order to grab his attention.

He finally looks down more and sees you. You two stay quiet for a moment looking for each other. His optics were wide as he seemed almost out of breath because of his rage earlier. You finally speak.

”Can we talk..Megatronus?” You give a small smile.

Hopefully to brighten his mood. At least a little bit as you keep looking at him. He calmed down, his optics no longer wide and his body stops tensing up.

“It is good you are here Y/N.”

”Oh that is good to hear Megatro-“ He then grabs you with his one hand. It only going fully around your waist as he pulls you in.

His door closes and he walks a bit deeper in his room and gently sets you down. “-nus…uhm. Why don’t we talk ‘bout- About! Today.”

You corrected yourself as he sat on his berth.

“…..Go on.” You gulped. Oh boy you either die today or leave bruised or worse- fired but you must treat this like a grown up and handle the situation.

”Sir- Megatronus. Our relationship isn’t appropriate. Yes my feelings are reall but I’m nothing more but a guard who fights for you and the city from the Quintissons. I don’t know what’s going on between you and Solus Prime that created this rumor.” You lied

”But I’m sure a Prime like yourself and Solus can work out-“

He then grabs your arm bringing you closer to him as you stumble a bit trying to not fall. He then sets you on his lap. His hand on your back as he sets his other hand on his lap.

“I could give less of a damn of you believe is proper or not. The reason we are keeping this secret and away form the others is for your safety. I am well aware of what I’m doin’… But I….Just years of these emotions inside me and knowing that Solus will just make me wait and wait and she runs off to the others possibly even more then more…I’m sick of it. I feel used! And It isn’t what I want and should even need!”

You could only stare up at him as he spoke and took in his words. He really was doing this because he believed you'll not treat him like Solus. You’re loyal, you’re suppose to be.

“Megatronus did you ever think that it could be because she’s dealing with stress and trying to trains her own high guards just as the others-“

He slams his foot down. “If so then why must she make false promises and mess with me with the others in front!”

”…..Doesn’t she..do the same with you and isnt she known she’s affectionate?” He only looks down at you with an angry expression and slowly blinked. You gulped and looked down.

“She’s poly isnt she?” Megatronus the growls more as he stands up. “OK OK let’s calm down!” You backed up as he paced back and forth. L

“Megatronus please lets just-“

”I am done!” He stays quiet for a moment. You could only stare at him, then look down. He was really tired of all this. You feel sympathy. But maybe this could be a good thing?

You can actually have your chance and he already admitted he- wait…..well wouldn’t hurt to ask.

“Megatronus do you…have actual feelings for me? Like- Love even?” He pauses for a moment before slowly turning. He thought for a moment. Before sitting back down. He would then sighs and fixed his bed and sits back on it.

“Years and years when not focused on Solus the whole time…I have could only notice you everytime…Your Bravery, Loyalty, and Strength- It’s everything a warrior represents!…I….” He takes a knee after being silent for a moment before you.

Looking down at you with soft eyes. Something he rarely does.

His large hand gently grabbing hold of yours.

“I do love you. And I hope you’ll continue to give me a chance to guide and be with you? Please…statues passed aside just..give us a chance. Me a chance?”

In your head you knew. This is just straight up pity but at the same time not. You do care for him. Hell it took you a while to not blush around him.

You thought for a moment then remembering why you came here in the first place.

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt. A relationship will barely stop you from doing your job. And Megatronus is a respectable leader. he’s about as serious as you are about the war……..

Oh what the hell.

You look up at him. You only have took a second before finally answering and gently holding his larger ones with yours.

“I’ll…let you court me Megatronus…and Hope our journey can continue forward on what lies upon us…”

You’re sure he must be smiling under his mask. But then you thought and spoke when he moved his larger hands moved onto your waist.

”Maybe we should take it slow first? Why not take our ti-“ You see he’s just staring at this point. “Semi slow?” He nods letting out a “hm”. He then sits down and gently picked you up as he puts you on his lap.

His other hand reaching to his mask. He’s about to take it off- HE’S ABOUT TO TAKE IT OFF….you start to panick as bit. You didn’t expect this to happen so soon.

You could only sit there as he removed his mask. He then reveals his face. It was grey a bit darker toned as he had a few scars on his lips and around his eyes.

Most likely from a Quintissons. You just stare at him as he looked down at you. His face unemotional as his optics just narrowed. You realize you’re just staring and you should probably speak.

“Wow I didn’t expect you’re so much more handsome then I expected.” He only let out a deep chuckle. At least my scars don’t seem to bother you. I believe scar are what makes show of a warriors worthiness. Such as like yours here.”

One of his digits gently touches your scar on your cheek. Noticing it’s over your eyebrow as well.

”The scouting today had its surprises but at least I got it on a special day?” You tried your best to brighten up the mood even more. His other hand still on your back starts to pull you a bit closer as he sets his mask down.

“Let me ask you have no other courting you at this moment Y/N.”

You responded with a no. You didn’t really have anyone else. And Starscream has his own thing going on. It’s most likely not possible like how it would’ve been with megatronus.

”Good. Something for myself. Someone I can trust…” You slowly nodded. Your cervos resting on your own lap as one of his digits touches your chin and keeps it in place as he looks down at you. “Mean it…?”

”Y-yes Megatronus.”

He gently sets you on the berth with his cervos as he leaned down getting fully on the berth as he uses his arms a support and was basically over you once more.

He then leaned closer both of you foreheads touching as he stared down at you. Your cervos gently holding his cheeks as you give him a small smile. You then closed your optics as you take in the moment.

He then leaned forward a bit his lips touches your once more since earlier this day. You didn’t take some time after to return the kiss.

Lightly turning your head to deepen it.

It was close to how it was earlier this day in thr training room. His cervos moving to your waist and gently rubbing at your chest.

Putting a little pressure on you to keep you pinned on the bed. His lips are so gently against your small ones.

You can only imagine what it’ll be like when you he finishes courting you. You could only hope he still be gentle even then. When you opened your optics a little bit, his optics were already closed. He seemed almost a peace. Something that wasn’t seen much earlier today.

You closed your optics once more as he moves his lips to your neck and shoulder as his other cervo that was against the bed now was behind your head. Supporting it as he brought you closer.

Your cervos stayed on his cheek. Supporting him to continue as he continues to cover your shoulder with kisses. He then continues going lower and lower.

His cervo moving to under you making you lift up a little. Now you head to your waist only inches above the bed. He then kisses your chest taking his time as he then makes his way to your waist. Your chest and waist becoming covered with kisses.

Your cervos then rest on the top of his head. Both of his cervos staying in lace as he spends some time to continue covering your waist with kisses. You’d let out a few sighs as you take in the moment. That worry and stress you had moments before soon washing away. The same thing surely happening to Megatronus.

Before you know it his kisses have gone lower and just over your panel he sets a kiss in place for only a moment. Your legs spreading on their own for him as you let out a small gasp. He then gently licked the now sensitive panel making your legs flinch only a bit. You didn’t realized how sensitive your panel has grown. He then gave soft kisses and licks on your inner legs and panel once more. With the cervo supporting your head up. His thumb gently move to be over you lips. “Open for me my dear.”

”M-Megatronus isn’t this going too fast?” He only continues until he finally stops slowly lifting his head being a few more inches from you

He then so gently picked you up. He sits up on the berth as the has one of his cervos supporting you up by your lower half against his sheet. His back now resting against the wall as he looked at you. His optics still soft as he then used one of his digits to gently rub your bac as he then spoke. “Maybe so but at least let me have a taste. So that you may know what to expect after our courting.”

You gave into the thought for a couple seconds before you then descide to nod. Giving him your gentle smile once more as he continued to almost seem emotionless. Though before you knew it he let out a small smile as well. He then leaned forward once more as his lips touch your panel and since you agreed. Your panel opens.

Showing how wet your valve is. Practically soaking as you shiver a bit from the cold air. He’s then set a small and gentle kiss on your valve as you let out a few gasps softly as your head titled back.

He’d then stick out his glossa once more and this time gently pressed more pressure against you valve. Making your legs shake lightly as he continues and presses his head closer into your legs and more so against your valve. He would then continue. Although he had a much bigger mouth compared to the other primes. He was more so gentle when it comes to using it. And he made very sure of that with you.

He’d then gently job at you node as he spreads your legs using one of his digits with the cervo supporting you. You let out a moan not expecting him to make a move like this given his size.

You’d then turn your head and notice his own panel has been removed and his other cervo has been busy with his spike. His spike was long and rather girthy as it stood tall. The tip was already leaking precum as he held it tightly. Your cervos held onto his digits tightly as you let out a few more moans. Trying to have a good hold of your legs as they continue to shake. The side of your thighs rubbing against his cheeks as he continues trying to bring you closer to your orgasm. When it appears that you are getting louder and louder. He looks up at you. His optics are narrow. You notice and place a hand over your mouth as you moan into it. He closes his optics once more and continues.

You feel a knot growing in my stomach. The feeling only growing as you continue to moan into your cervo. He realizes this means you’re getting closer. He continues this action and licked harder against your entrance and node.

He was already moving his cervo up and down his spike. Squeezing tightly as he grows closer to his own release. He too then moaned lightly. Causing his glossa and lips to vibrate against your valve. Only causing even more pleasure for you.

And then soon you are undone. Finally getting your release as you let out one last moan. Your legs shaking and your cervos squeeze tightly on his digits. He continues his act as he licks at your valve cleaning you up. Making sure you’re all cleaned up and not a single drop falls.

You’re a mess as you were panting. Trying to catch your breath. He wasn’t far behind, finally receiving his own release. It landing on his lower waist as he too tried to catch his breath. He slowly opened his optics and looks at you. As you did the same. Your legs were shaking and he gently raised you high as he sat up. His hand still holding you as he tucks himself away. His panel closing. You’d then close your panel once you finally caught your breath.

You looked at him and you both stared at each other. Although silly you both had a smile on your lips. He brought you closer and both of your lips meet. Touching once more. He kisses you with both passion and hunger. Hoping you’d do the same. You gently set your cervos on his cheeks as you return the kiss. You then spend what felt like cycles as your lips touched. But as th seconds gon by the later it became at night.

You’ll be exhausted in the morning for your training.

He was the one to pull away. He looked at you and let out a small chuckle. “I should help you sneak out so no one sees you. Wouldn’t want you losing your job.” You let out a chuckle at his words. He’d then stand up fully nad think. Then looking at his chest as he sets his mask back on.

”I should have enough room in front of my cog. I can walk out and go where you wont be seen so you may make it home. No one will question if it’s me going out.”

”That’s…a pretty good plan.” He then opens his chest and there lied his cog. There does seem to be room but you’re still a bit too big. You then get an idea. transforming in his cervo he looks at you. He then tried his best to fit you into his chest and able to get you to fit at a certain angle.

After cleaning himself up more he walks out of his room. Luckily only the night guards out and they only bowed their heads to Megatronus as he passed them. He then walks outside, getting closer to one of the alleyways and once the coast was clear. He opened his chest and picked you out. Setting you on the floor. You’d then transform and stretch out your arms. You’d then look up at him as he kneels down.

”I’ll see you for training tomorrow in the afternoon. You shall join me in training to show the others how to grow stronger. Understood?”

”Yes..Megatronus.” He nodded. He appears to wanting to lean forward. To give you one last kiss but he knew he had to return. Holding back. He then… bowed his head to you. This took you by surprise. You’d walk forward and place your hand on his chest “Until tomorrow My Prime.” You two stay quiet for a moment until he stands up. Then turning the other way heading back to his quarters.

———————————————————————————

You made your way back to your home. Once you got in you leaned against the door once it closed. And slide down sitting on the floor. You and one of th primes…Oh boy..This job just got a lot more interesting..

Back with megatronus as he walked back he passes by Solus who was leaving from her training room. She was alone and tired. Having gone training to let her anger out. She’d then notice megatronus passing by to his own room

”Megatronus what are you- what were you doing?” Megatronus would stop and turn his head back a little. Only glancing a bit. But right away, he continues walking. As she spoke more trying to grab his attention. He just continues to ignore her. Finally going to his room to recharge. Leaving Solus alone.

Hell yeah Chapter 2! Only a few more chapters to go!! As always the chapters for this story will be every Tuesday so please be patient. More chapters are to come.

As the story continues I’m planning on letting it get to even the movie. But because I love giving myself more work I’ll make two different parts where you either get left behind and don’t know what actually happened. Sentinel takes you and lies. Making you his Conjunx until Megatron kills him and eventually takes you cause he yandere. And another will be you being there knowing what happened and staying with the trio. Idk if i should make it poly since the trio also have feelings for you so you guys let me know your opinion. lol.

Maybe I’ll do one where the reader will join the Autobots in a different ending so it’s not all high gaurds joining the decepticons lmao. That should be all with what I have planned. Hope you all have a good rest of you morning/evening/night.

[honeybeefae]

Behind the Screen (Professor Gale x Female OC)

Summary / College was expensive, living was expensive, and Tessa’s parents had left her ill-prepared for the reality. Part-time jobs were difficult for her to keep with her school schedule, her major was crushing her mentally and spiritually, and with no other place to turn, she found herself profiting from less-than-professional means. However, it paid the bills and she never showed her face so it was foolproof. Never had she encountered anyone who knew what she did after dark…until she met the new Evocation professor. 

This idea floated into my head and will not come out. I would love to turn it into a multi-part series if anyone is interested! I know it isn't my usual ACOTAR work but I wanted to explore this new obsession! This is a kind of “modern” BG3 universe where magic, the absolute almost takeover, etc., are still the same but in a more modern setting! Obviously this will have smut so you have been warned but I will include content warnings at the beginning just in case! I hope you all enjoy! This chapter is a little short but I wanted it to be sort of an introduction to the story! <3

WARNINGS: 18 +, Cam Girl Activities, Paying to watch, Mutual Masturbation

AO3 Link

Chapter One: Lights, Camera, Action!

The music is slow and low in Tessa’s room, the bass thrumming throughout her body as she slowly sways to it. She smirks tauntingly as her fingers dance over the most sensitive parts of her body, covered by flimsy lace that one of her loyal viewers had sent her a week ago. It was a rich purple, matching the intricate masquerade mask that adorned her face and kept her most tempting feature unattainable. 

“Gods,” She moans huskily, sitting in her leather office chair to face the camera before slowly spreading her legs. “This feels so heavenly against my skin, Gale. You positively spoil me….”

Her computer is the only harsh light in her room as the rest of it is filled with soft fairy lights. She watches the screen as he types, knowing it would be a long lengthy response. He had been one of her first customers during the whole endeavor and after a few months, Tessa knew all of his quirks. Well, at least the sexual ones. 

Tonight is another private showing for him. It was like clockwork, Sundays at 8 PM and Fridays at 10 PM. They would last at least an hour, sometimes an hour and a half, and would consist of her teasing him until she turned her taunts to her body. He had sent her so many pieces of lingerie and toys in the few months she had started that it was a little startling. Sometimes he wanted her to take the lead, doing what she liked, while other times it was a specific script for her to follow. 

Either way, she knew he would pay a generous amount of money for these private shows and even more on tips if she did a free live show. A small part of her always wondered what he was like, what he looked like, but she knew entertaining that would only lead to pain. He could be married and hiding this obsession or single and desperate. None were good options for her. 

But she was more than happy to entertain his fantasies for however long he would pay her. 

“You know I am to please, my darling. I knew the purple would look absolutely radiant with your skin. It is all I can do now not to finish too quickly for you, the vision you are. Perhaps we should move on to the main event, yes? I am painfully aching to see all of you again.”

A blush comes over her cheeks at his words, both poetic and yet so vulgar. From the way he typed, she figured he had to have some kind of proper background and be older. No man she had ever met that was her age talked like him. 

“Of course, my love.” She purrs, reaching over to her drawer to fish out a toy. Before the stream, she had debated which one to use as his taste seemed to change with the wind. However, there was one she could always trust would please him. 

It’s a rabbit toy, sleek black with a long and thick vibrator and an additional clit stimulator that sucks and pulses in time with the rest of it. She always has the best orgasms with it and had actually been using it when Gale first found her stream. Ever since it was one of his favorites. 

“A classic, dear. Show me how your pretty cunt can drench it…and keep the lingerie on.”

“Yes, sir…” She almost whimpers as she pushes aside the already soaked material of her panties, biting down on her bottom lip as the toy comes to life in her hands. It was like a Pavlov effect on her pussy as she feels herself clench around nothing, eager to fuck herself for him.

The toy slides with little resistance inside of her as the clit stimulator begins to work its magic immediately, her back arching as she moans. She can feel the urge to close her eyes and blindly find her pleasure rising but she forces them open, eager to see what her client has to say. 

After a few seconds, he begins to type and she can only imagine what causes the delay, her mind flickering to images of a faceless man stroking his cock to her body. 

“So needy, so wet.”

“I can hear that wet cunt over your music, naughty girl. Do I make you this wet?”

“Fuck yourself for me. Call out my name, let everyone around you hear you cry for me.”

“Fuck, Gale!” She whines as she picks up the speed of her thrusts, the movement causing her clit to rub against the nub perfectly. “It’s…it’s so deep and it feels so fucking good…”

Her breasts sway to the rhythm she has become a slave to, almost popping out of the lingerie as the chair underneath her squeaks from her shifting weight. She can feel her mask begin to itch on her face as she starts to sweat, itching to remove it just so it doesn’t distract her. 

Instead, she spreads her legs wider and throws her head back in bliss for him. 

“Oooooh shit, oh fuck me,” She gasps as she hears the computer ping rapidly. “Gale, gods, Gale, fuck me, fuck me!”

The dual stimulation is causing her vision to turn spotty as she hits her Gspot, her entire back coming off the chair as she goes faster and faster. She thankfully has enough sense to raise her head to view his chat, her heartbeat thrumming in her ears.

“That’s it, darling, such a good girl. Look at you squirm for me. Look at you degrade yourself for me.”

“I can tell you are close. I can see your thighs trembling with the effort to keep them spread, to keep that slutty pussy open for me.”

“Gods above, I wish you could see how much I am leaking for you. It is a mess that I would love to cover you in. A devilish, sinful masterpiece.”

“I won’t last much longer. I need you to cum. Now.”

His last message had only been sent a few seconds ago and she took it in stride, changing her position so that she was practically kneeling and fucking herself roughly. Tessa could feel the drool leaking out of her mouth as her whole lower half seemed to throb in need, the tingles starting to spread up her body as she felt her orgasm quickly approaching. 

“I’m gonna cum, oh gods, I’m gonna-” She couldn’t even finish the sentence as she did one final, harsh thrust into her cunt. It sends her over the edge, her hips mindlessly grinding down further into the vibrations as she clenches over and over on the toy. It felt like too much and not enough, her body craving something more. Something real. 

Gale’s name is the only thing she can chant as she rides out her high, one of her hands going up to squeeze and pinch at her breast to extend the pleasure. After a few moments, she starts to come down, switching off the toy with clumsy fingers and letting it slide out of her.

“Show me.”

She knew what he wanted. It was the same every time she finished. Tessa gives the camera a lazy grin as she reaches for the toy and holds it up, showing the shiny and creamy texture before she does the same to her pussy. 

“The things I’d do to taste you, sweet girl. A tempest of my very own. Thank you for the show.”

His words make her look away for a moment in shyness as if she hadn’t just given him a very risque show. She turns back to the camera and blows him a kiss, wishing him a goodnight before she ends the stream and shuts her laptop. 

“Wow…” Tessa murmurs to herself, taking a deep breath as she stands up on shaky legs. She reaches for her phone and turns the music to something more alternative, more her speed, as well as turning the lights back to their lighter color. 

And so begins her nightly ritual after becoming her alter ego, Tilly Tryst. The mask comes off and is safely tucked away along with the rest of her clothes and toys. She fixes her bed and lights her candles, heading to the bathroom to take off her makeup and anything else she wears for her job. It’s like taking off a costume for her, or maybe an actor coming off stage. 

The bath she draws is usually her favorite part as she bathes herself in lighter scents. If she cared to analyze, it would be abundantly clear that it was like she washing away her sins or her actions. However, that would mean moralizing her job and that was a road she did not want to go down right now. 

Her phone pings as her muscles relax under the water, reaching out to see who could be texting her so late. The notification wasn’t a text though but a deposit notification. Gale had left her another very generous tip on top of his private stream payment. 

Tessa wishes she had someone to talk about this with, to see if this was healthy or if she should cut ties with him. This entire cam-girl job wasn’t even something she wanted to be doing. It was forced on her…subject herself to this or drop out of college. She knew others would have done the same in her position. 

Blackstaff Academy is the best wizarding school on the Sword Coast. Plenty of wizards of considerable acclaim had gone here and she was determined to be one of them. Her parents didn’t support her in her endeavors though they had no problem when her brothers had gone here. It was a sexist ideology, a kink in their plans to marry her off to a family friend to strengthen their role in society, and they hated her for it.

Other wizards at the school had a support system, a childhood of magical nurturing that inspired them to become even greater, and money or assistance to pay. Tessa had a childhood of sneaking magical tomes from her father and brothers, a support system of only her grandfather, and no money to her tattered name.

This is her last resort and thankfully, it was supplying more than she needed. It not only paid for her books, supplies, and other needs, but also her food and her rent. She finally felt like she was on the winning coin of fate. The last thing she needed was her only source of income to stop, even if it might be a dangerous game. 

And while Tessa would never admit this to herself, let alone a friend, she got a small thrill from her work. To be anonymous and yet so fully exposed is a different kind of adrenaline, not to mention the attention. Especially from her favorite clients. It fills a void that she desperately tries to hide.

She felt needed, desired, and for someone who went most of her life feeling the opposite it was like a balm for her soul…even if the methods were a little unorthodox. 

The clock in her room chimes, signaling the late hour, and she sighs before hauling herself out of the bath. Her last “first” semester started tomorrow and by the looks of her schedule as well as gossip in the hallways, it was not going to be an easy one. 

Tessa wraps herself in a fuzzy towel and softly pads back into her bedroom, fishing out comfortable pajamas as she finishes her nightly routine. Doors locked, windows shut, curtains drawn, and most importantly her laptop was shut. The bed calls her name as she finally settles in and down for the night, closing her eyes and drifting off into a dreamless slumber. 

[noxi3xe]

Echoes of Deception

Part 2 - Capitano x AFAB Reader - On AO3

Author's Note:

hello!! I'm back with another mini series (: This one's for all of the Capitano enjoyers, I personally have been awaiting his appearance for the past two tears so I'm real hyped for the next archon quest!!

・。。・゜★

Introduction:

Your escape plan didn't work as it was supposed to, now your curiosity cost you your position and the trust of the one and only Il Capitano. Perhaps the contract you signed will not only serve as a new beginning but also as the road to regaining his trust.

Basic Info about the story:

Sort of slowburn; Capitano x Fatui agent! Reader, Story starts off with a little flashback and waking up in the camp, after questioning you find out that you have been missing for longer than you remember. You have been declared as missing and a "threat" to the fatui. You get put on trial after after arriving to Snezhnaya and thankfully the results were positive. But you face another problem: Demotion, now you're no longer in high position but a lowly estate worker for no other than somebody you used to consider close; The Captain.

Reader is a Fatui Agent; Sergeant [Name] and bears a Cryo vision. Your past relationship with the captain is complicated, more than friends but not lovers. But that's in the past, or will it stay that way?

Chapter Synopsis:

★ Memory's Abyss: You finally reappear after going missing for a very long time. Now it seems that it's almost as if The Captain, somebody you considered as close as one could get, has lost all trust in you. ★ Judgment and Choices: The Father's help was much appreciated, now you stand between two choices and choose the latter, what other choice do you have? At least this way you'll be closer to him ★ Tables Turned: How many more times will he embarrass you by just existing? He knows how to use his words, making it so you can never say no. TW: a lil suggestive ★ Bittersweet Surrender How could you not give into him when he's so good to you? You'll always forgive him, won't you? That's what friends do after all. TW: a lil suggestive ★ Lies: He was so sweet, his touch and his words, they bring you joy and warmth... Well, they brought in past tense. You knew you shouldn't have trusted him now you must pay the price ★ Finale, but is it really over? Despite begging for his attention it did not end up like you wished, but why does it still feel good in a sick and twisted way? TW: NSFW

・。。・゜★

DottoreEnjoyer69 on AO3